


Mismatched

by SkewedReality



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Sebklaine - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 07:57:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkewedReality/pseuds/SkewedReality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate!AU Kurt meets Blaine and immediately feels Blaine's name etching itself onto his skin, marking them as soulmates. Eventually, Kurt finds out that his name never appeared on Blaine's wrist, and though he wonders why, he doesn't dwell on it. But when Blaine visits Dalton, he sees Sebastian, and a name that is not Kurt's begins writing itself on Blaine's wrist. (Sebklaine)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Несоответствующие](https://archiveofourown.org/works/991889) by [Lampa_19](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lampa_19/pseuds/Lampa_19)



**Prologue**

* * *

It had all happened in a whirlwind. One second he'd been examining his surroundings, lost on a staircase, then, in the blink of an eye (or rather, the asking of a question), his life had been changed forever.

Kurt had known from the moment he'd first caught the attention of the honey-eyed boy, that nothing about his life would ever be the same. As the boy smiled politely back at him, and introduced himself as  _Blaine Anderson_ , Kurt knew that when he rolled back the sleeve of his jacket, he'd see that very name etched into his skin. He could already feel the scratchy burn of the letters forming on his wrist, marking him forever as Blaine's.

He was charming and funny, more than Kurt could have ever asked for and exactly what he had needed. Blaine was his ally in a world where nobody seemed to care. He'd transferred from McKinley without ever looking back.

He had been hurt and confused when he realized that his own name, etched in his own calligraphic handwriting, wasn't decorating Blaine's wrist the way the messy scrawl of Blaine's handwriting graced his own. He'd kept his mouth shut since the day he'd found out, not letting Blaine know that his name was written into Kurt's skin.

They were soulmates; they had to be. But Blaine seemed to remain blissfully unaware of Kurt's feelings as their friendship grew, asking for help practicing for Christmas Spectaculars and bringing him exactly the right coffee, until one day, near Valentine's Day, when Kurt finally thought he'd caught a break, thought that Blaine had  _finally_ realized who he should have been with all along.

But, as Kurt had already figured out, his luck was terrible. He couldn't figure out what hurt worse, the bitter sting of embarrassment that he'd thought that Blaine was going to serenade  _him_ or the emotional pain of listening to his soulmate sing a song about sex toys to the junior manager of the Gap.

It was after the fiasco that was the so named Warblers' Gap Attack had ended, Blaine emerging bitter but wiser, that Kurt finally decided to speak up. They'd been getting coffee after school as usual when he turned to Blaine, his expression hesitant but determined.

"Okay, can I ask you something? Because we've always been completely honest with each other. You and I? We hang out. We sing flirty duets together. You know my coffee order. Was I supposed to think that that was nothing?" He asked, biting his lip.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, confused.

Kurt took a deep breath and continued. "I thought the guy that you wanted to ask out on Valentine's Day was me." Blaine's eyes flew open wide as the words sunk in. He opened his mouth, but Kurt cut him off. "Blaine, listen. There's something I've been meaning to say for awhile. Well," He started rolling up his sleeve and Blaine swallowed thickly, his eyes opening impossibly wider as he saw his name on Kurt's skin.

"K-Kurt..." he trailed off, unsure of how he was going to finish the thought anyway. He swallowed again and reached out to touch the slightly raised lettering, letting his thumb slide across the letters of his name as he processed the new information. "Kurt, I  _really_ care about you," he said slowly, deliberately. "I just—I don't want to screw this up."

Kurt smiled softly, feeling relieved that everything was out in the open. "Just do whatever you need to do, Blaine. I'm not asking for anything. You're my best friend and that's enough." He rested a hand on Blaine's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

He had been even more relieved by the fact that nothing got awkward between them, aside from the uncomfortable tutorial on how to be sexy, and everything moved forward as it had been. Kurt was finding himself more and more okay with just being friends, because at least it was  _something_.

But another whirlwind moment was about to turn his life on its head. He's still not sure exactly what happened. He'd felt terrible that Pavarotti had died, sang a song for the Warblers, gotten chosen by Blaine to be his duet partner, and then he'd found himself absently gluing rhinestones on a tiny casket only to be interrupted by Blaine entering the room to practice their duet.

Blaine sat down and pulled Kurt's hands into his own, pushing up the sleeve of his shirt and sliding his thumb across where his name was written on Kurt's pulse, feeling the steady thrumming of his pulse beneath his fingers.

"Kurt...there is a moment when you say to yourself, 'oh, there you are, I've been looking for you forever'." He took a deep breath, watching his thumb slide across Kurt's skin. "Watching you do  _Blackbird_ today, that was the moment for me, about you. You move me, Kurt. Doing this duet together would just be an excuse to spend more time together."

Kurt's eyes were wide as he listened to the admission. He'd barely had enough time to process the words before Blaine was leaning forward to connect their lips.

All thought was quickly erased by the overwhelming feeling of warmth and electricity that came from his soulmate's lips on his own. He'd experienced how amplified even the most innocent of touches felt when it came to soulmates. When Blaine would brush against his hand, he could feel the tiny sparks of electricity travel down his spine, but this was wholly different.

He whimpered against Blaine's lips and pressed forward, desperate for more of the heady, perfect feeling of Blaine's lips sliding against his own. Finally, Blaine pulled back, their lips making a soft  _smack_ sound as they parted. Blaine's pupils were blown wide and his breathing was ragged. He took Kurt's hand, squeezing his eyes shut tightly in an attempt to form a complete thought.

"K-Kurt, I don't know what it means that you have my name and I don't have yours, but it doesn't matter. I want this, and I want  _you_. We can figure it out together," he said, his voice quiet and sure.

Kurt smiled and slid his thumb across Blaine's knuckles. His heart was pounding and he was sure Blaine could feel it from where his thumb was still sliding across his pulse. Kurt swallowed thickly and whispered, "Together." His voice sounded rough and bordering on wrecked even to his own ears.

A triumphant smile touched Blaine's face and he surged forward to connect their lips again, the word  _together_ still ringing in his ears.

And they did figure it out. Part of Blaine had hoped that Kurt's name would miraculously appear after their first kiss, but it hadn't.

The fact that Kurt's name wasn't etched on his skin meant very little to Blaine though. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kurt was his soulmate. Every time they'd touch, even through all the layers, Blaine's would feel silent shockwaves coursing through his body, constant reminders that Kurt was his and he was Kurt's. There was no denying the butterflies that would still flutter through his stomach every time he heard Kurt laugh at one of his jokes.

The decision to transfer schools had been the easiest choice he'd ever made. Saying goodbye to his friends was hard, but McKinley High was where his heart was.

He loved Kurt. Completely and absolutely. He loved kissing Kurt. He loved holding Kurt. Each day he'd find some new reason to fall deeper and deeper in love with the unique and beautiful boy. And he loved it. He loved that he could fall deeper and deeper and Kurt would be there to catch him every time.

Even now, eight months later, he was sure of the decision he'd made in the Dalton common room. Kurt Hummel  _was_ his soulmate. Against all odds, Blaine's nameless wrist notwithstanding, they'd found each other, just like Tony and Maria, and Blaine knew that Kurt was the one. He wanted to take the final step and give himself to Kurt completely.

He'd told Kurt that he was ready to take their relationship to the next level three days before opening night of the McKinley High production of West Side Story. Kurt had looked surprised and a little flustered. Blaine squeezed his hand and walked away, leaving Kurt leaning against the lockers with a contemplative expression. They hadn't gotten a chance to talk about it further, because Blaine had sent Kurt a quick text saying that he had to go drop off the Warblers' tickets for the production.

He breathed in the antiquated smell of the hallway leading to the practice room, knowing that's where his friends were. His mind wandered to the many stolen kisses he and Kurt had shared in the alcoves and hideaways of the hallway. His lips quirked up into a wider smile as he heard the clear sound of the Warblers practicing, a bright rendition of  _Uptown Girl_.

He smiled and leaned against the doorjamb of the practice room, watching and listening silently, unnoticed by his friends. Nostalgia swept through him as he watched the routine, his eyes focusing in on his old friends, glancing around at the few new faces in the group.

He froze as his eyes landed on a tall boy with dark blond hair. The boy's green eyes lifted to meet his own and Blaine's stomach dropped as he felt an unpleasant burning on his wrist, the too-hard press of a sharp pen against his skin.

The routine ended and the Warblers all greeted him, the green eyed boy gathering his things in the back of the room. Blaine handed his friends the tickets to the show and they all filed out, patting him on the back and saying their hurried goodbyes as they went. Blaine took a quick second to examine his wrist. He felt a helpless feeling sink into his bones as he took in the blockish letters that spelled out a name that was certainly not Kurt's.

He'd failed to notice that the boy had walked up, a devious smile on his face and a hand extended. Blaine's eyes were still glued to his wrist.

"Hi, you must be Blaine Anderson," the boy said conversationally. "I'm-"

"Sebastian Smythe."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

* * *

A look of confusion momentarily crossed Sebastian's features before he schooled it back into the aloof mask it had been before. His eyes flickered down to where Blaine was thumbing idly at his own wrist, which he'd quickly hidden from view, and he put the pieces together.

He didn't let the mask slip as his mind started reeling. He fought the urge to lift his arm and inspect his own wrist. Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of burning or something associated with being marked? He'd felt nothing. Not even a tingling.

The shorter boy's eyes were still wide as Sebastian snapped himself out of his internal reverie. He decided it would be best to ignore the tension, his mind already planning how to use this new development to his advantage. A very attractive boy had just been bound to him; surely there was  _some_  good that could come out of this situation.

Sebastian widened his smile, stretching out his arm to lean against the doorjamb. "That's right," he answered conversationally. "You've heard of me?"

He laid the charm on thick, but by the look on Blaine's face as he watched the muscles of his arm shifting as it supported his weight, it wouldn't take  _too_  much charm to bed this boy.

"You want to go get some coffee?" Sebastian asked, his voice full of innocent questioning. Blaine's eyes widened and his expression looked wary. "I'll buy." Sebastian widened his grin as Blaine nodded woodenly.

He draped his blazer over his messenger bag and followed Blaine toward the senior commons. He got them both a cup of coffee, taking a moment while his back was turned to inspect his wrist, letting out a relieved sigh to find it unmarked. It raised more questions than it answered, but Sebastian was still happy to be unattached.

Affixing a smile to his face, he turned around and walked toward the wooden table in the middle of the empty room. Blaine was staring off, completely distracted. He jumped when Sebastian cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry," Blaine was quick to apologize.

"No worries," Sebastian dismissed, holding a cup out toward Blaine.

Blaine reached for the cup and Sebastian's eyes widened as their fingers brushed. He'd never felt anything quite like the way Blaine's touch felt like electricity was crackling across his skin. He swallowed thickly and filed the new information down for later, hoping Blaine missed the sudden flash of surprise in his eyes at the touch.

He sat down across from Blaine, a smug smile still painted on his face. If anything, the new development in the situation was enough to make Sebastian want the boy more. If just barely brushing their fingers together felt like that, he couldn't imagine what it would feel like to actually fuck him. The thought made Sebastian's dick twitch with interest, but he kept his gentlemanly composure easily from years of practice.

Sebastian was surprised to find that he actually took an interest in the things Blaine talked about. The conversation didn't feel forced, something he hadn't been expecting. It'd been a long time since someone had managed to keep up with him intellectually enough to keep him interested. For a moment, Sebastian actually forgot to keep his guard up and found himself telling Blaine things he normally wouldn't share.

His plan had been all but forgotten over the course of the conversation, so when the alarm on his phone went off to remind him of lacrosse practice, he'd internally kicked himself for wasting so much time. He brought back the charm and stood up.

"I've have to go. Lacrosse practice. But, could we meet again? I could really use some more insights from you. You know. Warbler to Warbler."

He put on his most charming smile as he spoke. He knew just the way to shift his features in order for his words to have the most impact. It was like a game to him. And he knew just how to play.

Blaine looked flustered, staring up at him for a second as though he hadn't actually heard the words. Finally, he spoke. "Uh...yeah. Of course."

They exchanged numbers and Sebastian left with a wink. Though he'd been caught off guard by his genuine interest in the boy, he refused to let anything distract him from his goal. He adjusted the strap of his bag and headed toward practice with a smug smile on his face.

* * *

Blaine fought back tears all the way home. He threw the car in park the moment he hit his driveway and ran inside, locking himself in his room and letting helplessness crash over him in waves.

His mind reeled as he though back to Sebastian's fingers touching his own, the way it felt like every nerve in his body was tingling. It was the way he always felt when Kurt touched him.

Kurt. His beautiful, perfect Kurt. The boy he loved with everything he had.

Tears sprang into his eyes as he thought about what this meant for Kurt. God, he would be devastated if he ever saw someone else's name on Blaine's wrist. And, Blaine didn't want Sebastian. He wanted  _Kurt_.

Sure, Sebastian was smart and witty and actually, if Blaine wanted to admit the truth to himself, which he really didn't; Sebastian was gorgeous, all perfect smiles and sparkling eyes.

It had been enough to make Blaine's knees weak. He wanted to scream. Nothing about this was fair. Not to Kurt, not to him, and not to Sebastian, who'd made no indication to suggest that Blaine's name was now on his wrist.

Blaine's phone chimed from his pocket and he rolled to his side to fish it out.

_**From Kurt 3:** Hey, sweetheart, I didn't get to see you before you left today. Want to come over tonight? Dad and Carole are in D.C. and Finn's out with Rachel. I'm making that chicken stuff that you like. :)_

His stomach dropped sadly and fresh tears formed in his eyes. Kurt loved him so much. He'd done nothing to deserve the pain that Blaine was surely going to inflict on him. Was it only a matter of time before he ended up breaking Kurt's heart? The thought made him sick.

He was thankful that Kurt couldn't actually see him as he answered.

_**To Kurt 3:** Of course. :) I'll be there at seven._

Blaine tossed his phone aside and buried his face in his pillow, fresh sobs tearing from his throat.

By the time he had to leave, he'd managed to clean himself up enough so that it only looked  _a little_  like he'd been crying for an hour. He'd grabbed his keys and was already on his way out the door when his phone rang. He answered without looking, sure it was Kurt calling to check up on him.

"Hi baby, I'm leaving now. I'll be there in a few minutes," he said quickly.

He heard a laugh on the other end of the phone and his heart dropped to his shoes. "Oh, you've got a 'baby'. Who is he?"

Blaine forced out a laugh. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. I thought you were my boyfriend. I'm just leaving to go to his house for dinner. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Well, I was just calling to see if you wanted to get together tonight, but I see you already got plans with 'baby'," Sebastian teased. "Unless he wanted to come too. The more the merrier, as they say."

"I—I don't think that would be a good idea," Blaine said slowly. Saying that Sebastian's plan was  _not a good idea_  was the understatement of the century. "What about tomorrow? We can meet for coffee after school."

"Alright," Sebastian answered casually. "Tomorrow it is. Lima Bean at four?"

Blaine wanted the conversation to be over, but he couldn't deny the butterflies in his stomach at the prospect of seeing Sebastian again. He squeezed his eyes shut and wondered when  _that_ had happened. "Yeah, sure," he answered quickly. "See ya."

Sebastian answered, but Blaine had already pulled the phone away from his ear and ended the call, throwing his phone down against the passenger's seat roughly as though it was the phone's fault. He pulled out of the driveway, his spirits slightly buoyed by the prospect of seeing Kurt.

When Kurt pulled him tightly into his arms the moment he walked through the door, it was almost easy to forget about the afternoon he'd just had. Everything seemed brighter when Kurt was around. Blaine let himself be kissed, kissing back in equal measure. He let the worries of the day go, because nothing mattered as long as he was in Kurt's arms.

Though the back of his mind wouldn't be silenced. Thoughts of  _What would Sebastian's arms feel like around me_ and  _I wonder what Sebastian is doing right now_  managed to worm their way into his consciousness.

It was the pull that unnerved him. As much as he tried to forget about Sebastian and just focus on being with Kurt, there was a strange pull, as though holding Kurt was amazing and completely perfect, there was something (or rather, some _one_ ) missing.

"Blaine, sweetheart, what's wrong? You seem distracted," Kurt said as he picked up after dinner.

Blaine looked up quickly, wondering how long he'd been zoned out. "Oh yeah. I'm fine. Just...thinking."

Kurt set the plates in the sink and crossed the kitchen, sitting in Blaine's lap. "Yeah, I've been thinking too. Thinking about what you said in the hall today."

That seemed like forever ago. It felt like it had been a lifetime since he'd left McKinley to go drop off the tickets at Dalton, a lifetime since he met Sebastian. All he could think to respond was, "Yeah?"

Kurt nodded, nosing along the faint stubble of his jaw. "Yeah," he breathed against Blaine's skin. The ghost of breath sent shivers down his spine. "I've thought about it all afternoon."

A hand came to rest on Blaine's cheek as Kurt leaned forward and connected their lips. Blaine's mind blanked out as Kurt's lips slid, warm and yielding, against his own. Electric tingles erupted everywhere Kurt's lips touched and he had to remind himself to breathe.

Kurt rested his head against Blaine's forehead, breathing heavily. "I want you, Blaine."

Blaine's eyes rolled back at just the tone of Kurt's voice, the way Kurt had purred out his name. It still struck Blaine as amazing that Kurt didn't think he knew how to be sexy, thought of himself as a baby penguin, when the way the words had fallen from his lips had been nothing but pure  _sex_.

A pang of guilt pulled Blaine from his distraction. Kurt was still mouthing along his jaw, sucking marks on his neck in a way that made Blaine's toes curl in his socks. He couldn't do this. He wanted to—God did he want to—but he couldn't risk Kurt seeing Sebastian's name on his wrist.

Something about the idea of sleeping with Kurt—just Kurt—felt  _wrong_. He let his mind examine the thought. His heart dropped as he realized that he wanted  _(needed)_ Sebastian too. He loved Kurt with every fiber of his being. He wanted nothing  _more_  than to give Kurt the world. He wanted to give himself to Kurt, but his heart felt weird about giving himself to  _only_ Kurt.

How could he possibly explain to Kurt—the love of his life—that he couldn't bring himself to lose his virginity tonight, because he felt pulled toward someone he'd known for less than a day and he  _needed_  to be there?

Nothing about his feelings for Kurt had changed, but he was surprised to find that the pull he felt toward Sebastian matched his pull toward Kurt. Helplessness washed over him again, coupling with the guilt he already felt.

"Kurt, stop-" he choked out, pushing Kurt off. "I'm sorry...I've got to go."

He stood up and bolted from the room, his heart breaking more and more with each step.

* * *

His phone all night save for the short conversation he'd had with Kurt at midnight.

_**From Kurt 3:** I'm sorry for whatever I did, Blaine. Just please tell me that you're okay. That *we're* okay._

He was almost sure he'd misspelled every third word of his reply, but he'd managed to tell Kurt that everything was okay  _(even if he wasn't so sure)_. He needed to comfort Kurt. The phone was silent for a beat too long, so Blaine sent another text.

_**To Kurt 3:** I love you._

Kurt was quick with his reply.

_**From Kurt 3:** I love you, too, sweetheart. Get some sleep. Goodnight._

Blaine had answered back with his goodnight and actually fallen asleep quickly, exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of the day.

He'd faked a migraine to skip school the next day, not that his parents asked. He wasn't even sure they were home. He snuck out around four to go meet Sebastian. The taller boy had been leaning against the front of the building when Blaine pulled up. A smile crossed his face and he pushed off the wall and walked toward Blaine's car, opening the driver's side door.

(A little chivalry never hurt anyone's chances, right?)

A soft smile touched Blaine's face and Sebastian tried to ignore the unsettling way it made his face heat up, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. That was...unexpected. He shook it off and fell into step beside Blaine, making it inside and ordering his coffee after Blaine, delighting in the look of intrigue that crossed the shorter boy's features as Sebastian ordered a shot of  _Courvoisier_ in his coffee.

They sat down opposite of each other and Sebastian started laying on the charm again. Blaine's face screwed up with regret and a hint of guilt.

"Look, Sebastian, I have a boyfriend," he said slowly.

"Doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you." Sebastian was quick to chime in, a smug smile on his face.

"No, I mean, I really care about him-"

"He doesn't need to know."

"I just never want to mess my thing up with him, in any way. He's really great," Blaine said sincerely. Though he knew he'd already messed up in a huge way.

"Who's 'really great'?"

Blaine jumped at the sound of Kurt's voice, turning in his chair to look at his boyfriend. Sebastian's eyes stayed fixed on Blaine's face, missing a good chunk of the conversation between the boys.

"Sebastian, this is Kurt—my boyfriend, who I was just-"

Sebastian pulled himself back to reality. "Got it."

For the first time, he let himself look at the boy who was now sitting next to Blaine, possessively clutching his arm. He met unfriendly, piercing blue eyes and his stomach dropped to his shoes as he felt the hard press of something sharp scratching and digging into his wrist, branding him.

The boy—Kurt, apparently—had his arm outstretched toward Sebastian, so he reached forward and took it dumbly, feeling sparks radiating from the touch and watching Kurt's reaction to the handshake. The touch made Sebastian's knees weak and he shifted unconsciously in his chair.

There was only a brief second when something flickered across Kurt's face as their hands brushed, but he quickly schooled his expression into something bitchy.

"Pleasure," he said snidely, crinkling his eyes in a way that made Sebastian's heart ache.

He tried to keep his expression neutral even though panic was ripping through his insides. It had all happened in a split second. Nothing about the scene seemed to have changed. Only  _everything_ had just changed. Sebastian's world just got flipped on its head.

Kurt was staring daggers at him. Sebastian glanced down to see Kurt's exposed wrist, Blaine's name etched into the skin, trying to ignore the flutter that his heart gave at the sight.

 _Oh,_ Sebastian thought.  _That explains the "I'm going to disembowel you if you so much as touch my boyfriend" look that Kurt was shooting across the table._

Sebastian had no idea how to move forward, which was  _definitely_ a first, but he'd always loved a challenge, and things had just gotten  _a lot_  more complicated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Sebastian found an excuse to leave shortly after.

But something—some kind of strange pull—wouldn't let him leave without first securing a date to see both of them again. He ended the conversation—an exchange of flirty comments with Blaine and sharply barbed quips with Kurt—by asking if they'd like to go out to Scandals the next night. His heart had skipped a beat when Blaine had looked hesitant, but kicked into double-time when Kurt spoke over him, saying they'd be there. The words sounded like a challenge.

Sebastian tried to keep calm as he left the coffee shop, but he felt his feet betray him as he stumbled a little halfway to his car. It didn't matter; he just needed to get as far away as possible, even if his heart was telling him to stay.

Nothing about any of this made sense. Blaine was bonded to him, so shouldn't he be bonded back to Blaine instead of Kurt? And why was Kurt bonded to Blaine if Blaine was bonded to _him_? He felt the beginnings of what was going to be a killer headache coming on as he pulled out of the Lima Bean parking lot, hitting the highway and speeding away just as fast as his car would go.

By the time his tires rolled into his driveway, he'd all but decided that he was going to carry out his plan whether he was technically bonded to Kurt or not. He wanted to fight the bind, which he knew was a futile effort, but he had to try. Plus, if he was bound to Kurt, why did Blaine's touch feel just as electric?

Why had it felt as though he was  _complete_  when he was sitting with both of them? It hadn't felt that way until he'd bonded with Kurt. There had been a tugging in his stomach to tell him that something was  _wrong_  when it was just he and Blaine, but he'd figured that it was just an annoying flare up of his conscience and tamped it down. But when he'd looked into Kurt's blue eyes, even though they were colored with distaste and irritation, he'd felt as though  _that_  was how they should be.

He wondered if that was how Blaine had felt too. Or if Kurt had felt it. He let his head fall against the steering wheel, just sitting in his car, in his driveway. He hadn't wanted any of this. He never wanted to be dependent on anyone for his own happiness, let alone  _two_  people.

His eyes dropped to his wrist, his fingers scrambling to roll up his sleeve. He did his best to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he examined the cursive calligraphy that spelled out _Kurt Hummel_. He shook his head profusely. No.

Blaine. He was going to go after Blaine as planned. It was  _Blaine_  that he wanted— _only_  Blaine. He tried to ignore the little niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach that said,  _You're lying to yourself_.

Sitting in his car, lost in his own mind, he'd never felt more alone, and the thought of what he knew would comfort him—being wrapped tightly in Kurt  _and_  Blaine's arms—only made him feel worse.

It didn't matter what his traitorous heart said it wanted; he wasn't going to let Kurt get to him. His mind flashed to images of Kurt's less than unfriendly face and it made his heart ache; he wanted to fix it, to put a smile on the pale boy's face. He pushed the feeling down and took a deep breath. He didn't care what it said on his wrist, he was going to be in control of this situation somehow.

**—x—**

Kurt took Sebastian's seat the moment he'd walked away, ignoring the pull that had told him to follow the taller boy. The way Blaine's eyes had followed Sebastian out the door, Kurt couldn't help but wonder if Blaine felt the same way. Blaine was chewing on his lip, his eyes fixed out the large window of the Lima Bean, watching Sebastian's retreating figure and eventually watching his car pull out of its spot and drive away.

There was sad contemplation on his face and his thumb idly slid across his own wrist, a peculiar habit that Blaine had only recently developed. Kurt didn't understand it, but he didn't want to pry. He was more worried about the fact this was the first time he had been alone with Blaine since the catastrophe that was the previous night.

"Blaine," Kurt prompted softly. Blaine tore his gaze away from the window where he'd been staring at an empty parking space for the last five minutes. He met Kurt's eyes, inexplicable sadness brimming in his own amber eyes. Kurt could feel his heart break just a little. "Blaine, are we—are we okay?"

Blaine's eyes widened and fear flickered across his face. He reached out quickly to take Kurt's hand and squeezed it tightly, a little  _too_  tightly, but Kurt didn't mind. "Of course we are!" He insisted, his voice mirroring the quiet fear in his eyes. "Kurt, what happened last night...I'm so sorry. I just—I panicked."

Kurt looked down at the table, suddenly interested in studying the grain of the wood. "It's not that you don't want me, is it?" He asked, his voice sheepish and sad.

"How could I ever not want you, Kurt? You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen. I love you so much, Kurt, and I'm  _so_  sorry for running out on you without telling you that." Blaine's voice was low and earnest.

Kurt squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. Things were different, almost tangibly so, but for now, they were okay, even though there was an empty ache in their chests telling them that, even though they were okay, they weren't complete. Not yet. Not anymore. Not without Sebastian.

* * *

When Wednesday night came and Blaine pulled silently into a parking space outside of a rundown-looking bar, the only indication of what it was being a dimly lit neon  _Scandals_  perched on the eve of the building.

Kurt's eyes scanned the area, having seen one too many Dateline specials about homophobes who hang out in gay bar parking lots waiting for people to come outside so they could attack them. He couldn't find it in himself to be truly comfortable, even with Blaine taking his hand and helping him out of the car.

The bar looked like it'd seen better days to say the least. It was in a terrible part of town and something about the evening just felt ominous. Kurt was just about to suggest getting back in the car and going back to Blaine's empty house for a movie night, but the promise of seeing Sebastian secretly soothed him. Which was unnerving all on its own.

He should hate the boy who was unashamedly trying to steal his soulmate away. There was nothing about Sebastian that didn't scream  _smug rich boy_. He was used to getting what he wanted, and what he wanted  _now_ was  _Blaine_. The thought didn't sit well with Kurt, but he felt guilty over the fact that he wasn't as angry as he should be. His brain was telling him to pull Blaine close and not let Sebastian within a hundred feet, but something deeper, something in his heart, felt that it was natural to share Blaine, that he was just as much Sebastian's as his own.

He hated that he felt that way. He hated that he didn't understand why he didn't hate Sebastian even though he wanted to, even as much as he tried. The pure excitement radiating off Blaine is enough to strike Kurt, to remind him that Blaine is sometimes overeager and dives into things headfirst without thinking. His mind automatically drew a parallel between the boy next to him and Sebastian.

Sebastian was calculating and single-minded. Kurt could tell by the look in the boy's sharp green eyes that he was already planning every possible way to get Blaine in bed, and Blaine was too innocent to recognize it. He just relished the attention. Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand a little harder, determined now that Sebastian wasn't going to lay a hand on Blaine. His body rejected the thought, somehow feeling deep down that he was wrong.

They handed their bogus IDs to the put-upon man behind the desk and he eyed them with speculation before deciding that he just didn't care and gestured for them to go inside.

Sebastian was sitting at the bar, his face screwed up in thought, his eyes darting anxiously around the room before finally noticing Kurt and Blaine's arrival. His face broke into a smile before he could help it. He quickly tried to school it into something smug when he noticed the way Blaine's eyes lit up and Kurt's eyes narrowed. He was sure he saw something flash in Kurt's eyes before he narrowed them into something unfriendly, but it happened so quickly he couldn't place what it was.

He smiled wider, trying to make himself act friendly but not betray his true excitement of having both boys near him again. "Hi guys," he greeted, turning toward the bar as they returned the greeting. He pulled two drinks off the bar. "A beer for Blaine and a Shirley Temple with extra cherries for Kurt."

Kurt took the drink from his outstretched hand, their fingers brushing as he grabbed the glass. Sebastian shuddered by did his best to push it aside. "I heard you're the designated driver. Like, all the time."

Kurt said nothing, fighting the urge to counter the tease with an insult. He was here for Blaine, and Blaine wanted to have a good time, so he let it go.

They found a table near the back of the bar and sat down. Blaine chatted idly with Sebastian, the influence of the alcohol beginning to press down on him and make him even chattier than normal. Kurt watched with interest at the way Sebastian interacted with Blaine, his cool exterior fading into something that could almost resemble genuine as the alcohol began to sink into his system.

"So," Blaine asked Sebastian, his words slurring slightly. Kurt made a mental note to start monitoring Blaine's drinking, unsure of how many beers he'd actually had that night. "You said yesterday that your family is from France?"

Sebastian took another pull from his beer bottle before setting it down. "Yeah, my mother was from Paris. My grandparents still live there. I visit every summer."

Blaine's eyes lit up. "Do you speak French?"

Sebastian nodded and Blaine's grin widened, his glassy eyes sparkling. "Kurt's fluent in French!" He chirped happily, the words sounding a bit slurred.

Kurt's eyes flashed to Blaine's face, quickly understanding what he was trying to do. Kurt wasn't totally sure he wanted to have any sort of familiarity with Sebastian, feeling safer to just treat him as an annoyance until he was able to ignore his existence completely. He was pulled from his thoughts by Sebastian's curious voice.

"Tu parles français?"

Kurt couldn't help but feel a bit smug from the look of interest in Sebastian's eyes, clearly not used to anyone who could keep up with him mentally, because, like him or hate him, Kurt could give Sebastian one thing: He was sharp.

"Oui, j'ai pris des cours de français avancé pendant quatre ans," Kurt answered, a smug smile spreading across his face.

A flirty smirk touched Sebastian's face, his eyes sparkling with something that Kurt couldn't quite place. "C'est bon à savoir," he said quietly, his smile still in place. Sebastian's eyes continued to hold Kurt's, the heavily charged silence stretching between them.

A shudder rippled down Kurt's spine. It unsettled him, because the smile on Sebastian's face, flirty and seductive and  _not aimed at Blaine,_ had filled him with sudden want. There was a tension between them that made the hair on Kurt's arms stand up, and he wanted to hate it, wanted to pretend that what he was feeling wasn't desire, wasn't longing.

Blaine's voice made him jump. "Okay, I'm bored. Dance with me?"

He reached out toward Kurt, but Kurt shook his head, distractedly. Blaine wrinkled his nose childishly and put a smile back on, turning to offer the hand to Sebastian. The tall boy didn't seem to notice it at first, obviously lost in thought.

"Sebastian?" The tall boy looked up toward where Blaine was speaking and Kurt could hear his breath hitch in his throat as he met Blaine's eyes. "Dance with me?"

Sebastian reached out instinctively to take Blaine's hand, still feeling a little dazed, a shiver rushing down his spine at the contact. Blaine leaned down and kissed Kurt on the cheek before towing Sebastian toward the dance floor.

He watched his boyfriend drag Sebastian away, feeling relieved to be able to be alone to deal with the torrent of emotions surging through him.

Watching the two boys dance together was enough to send another wave of inexplicable emotion washing over Kurt. Their inhibitions were lowered from the undetermined amount of alcohol they'd consumed, and they were dancing close together. Kurt's brain was immediately telling him to get up and pull Blaine away, to let Sebastian see that Blaine's name was written on  _his_  wrist and that he needed to step off, but his stomach fluttered pleasantly to see both boys smiling, seemingly happy and comfortable in the other's presence.

Blaine looked over and noticed Kurt staring, a slow smile spread across his face as he wiggled his hips teasingly as in invitation for Kurt to join them. Kurt sighed and took a final drink of his soda before getting up. Sebastian's gaze hardened and he shifted closer to Blaine, but Kurt squeezed between them, forcing Sebastian back in a subtle but clear claim to Blaine.

Blaine was too drunk to notice. Sebastian continued to dance around them, the alcohol clearly working at full power. For the first time that evening, Sebastian's face seemed almost relaxed. He'd looked uncomfortable for most of the night, confusion and frustration in his eyes. Whether the reason for its disappearance was the alcohol or Blaine  _or even himself,_ Kurt was thankful for the change, even if he'd never admit it. It was nice to see Sebastian smile.

For a little while, it was actually  _fun._ They danced together stupidly, Kurt even indulging Blaine by dipping him while Sebastian stood by and laughed. It felt like they were standing in the eye of a storm, everything was calm and bright for the moment. So they went with it.

It was easy to tell when the alcohol wore off, because slowly, the sadness started to return and Sebastian's guard went back up. Blaine was still dancing, blissfully oblivious to any shift in the atmosphere. Sebastian excused himself and went back to the bar to get another drink, his face looking troubled. It frustrated Kurt, because he couldn't seem to get a handle on Sebastian's character.

One second he was fun and charming, the next he seemed cynical and snide. It hurt that every time Kurt would say something to the cynical and snide side of Sebastian, it would be returned with a bitter insult. He knew it  _shouldn't_ bother him, but it did. For some reason, hearing insults fall from Sebastian's lips stung more than hearing them everyday from people at school.

Blaine tripped over Kurt's foot and Kurt had to throw out his hands to catch Blaine before he fell. Sebastian's hands flew out just as quickly, holding Blaine's waist, his eyes suddenly flashing back to Kurt's, a silent undecipherable question in his green eyes. He pulled back his hands as though he'd been shocked and a small whimper escaped Blaine's lips. The sound was heard by both Sebastian and Kurt, because their gaze was suddenly torn away from each other and toward Blaine, but the moment had passed and Blaine was shuffling closer to nuzzle against Kurt's neck.

The sound was confirmation for Kurt, proof of what should have been his biggest fear. Blaine wanted Sebastian, missing the tall boy's hands when they left his body.

Kurt cleared his throat and Sebastian's gaze flickered anxiously to meet his eyes. "I-I think I'm going to take Blaine home," Kurt said, his voice distant.

Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck, visibly swallowing. There were weak protests coming from Blaine, but Sebastian stepped forward and patted him on the back. "We'll hang out again, killer. You're gonna have one hell of a hangover tomorrow, so just go home and let Glittery Smurf here take care of you."

Too drunk to argue, Blaine just nodded against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt met his eyes, a dull ache in his chest that he tried to ignore. He nodded curtly and started to pull Blaine toward the door.

"Hey, Kurt," Sebastian called, his voice hesitant. Kurt turned, surprised. Sebastian hadn't directly addressed him all evening, or at least not without being prompted by Blaine. The tall boy's voice was hesitant and he picked at a loose thread at the cuff of his long sleeved shirt. "D-Drive safe, yeah?"

Kurt nodded and pulled Blaine outside, the cool November air doing nothing to sober Blaine who continued to babble all the way to the car. Kurt went to help him in the backseat, instructing him to lie down, Blaine grabbed Kurt's arm and pulled until Kurt was positioned over top of him.

The weight of the alcohol was pressing down on Blaine and as he was alone with Kurt, the ache of missing Sebastian was almost numbed enough to ignore. Kurt didn't deserve to be attached to someone who ached for someone else, so Blaine was going to give him what he'd asked for.

His hands quickly fumbled with pulling Kurt's shirt from his pants despite Kurt's protests.

"Come on, Kurt," he mumbled drunkenly. "I know you wanted to do this in a dewy meadow with Sting playing in the background, but I want you so bad."

The words were true. With Kurt's body pressing down against his own, there was nothing that Blaine wanted more than to have Kurt inside him, making love to him, claiming him as his own.

But suddenly Kurt is pushing him away and yelling. The alcohol fogging his brain didn't let him understand. All he felt was Kurt pulling away from him and he reached up toward Kurt, but Kurt's hand intercepted him, long fingers wrapping around his wrist. He felt the static crackle pleasantly across his skin, but Kurt had gone completely silent, his eyes wide and brimming with tears, and Blaine's brain finally caught up to what happened.

Kurt's eyes were fixed on Blaine's wrist, his stomach dropping and his heart thudding erratically. The hand that wasn't frozen to Blaine's wrist flew up to cover his mouth as his eyes took in the name on his soulmate's wrist.

_Sebastian Smythe_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Kurt didn't even have a chance to react before Blaine was sobbing brokenly, his breath close to hyperventilating. The sound of Blaine crying physically hurt so Kurt pulled him close, holding back his own tears as Blaine cried against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Kurt," he choked out in a labored breath.

"Shh..." Kurt soothed, dropping kisses to the top of Blaine's hair. "It's alright. You're alright."

Blaine just squeezed Kurt tighter, crying and repeating, "But...I love  _you_." over and over. The words were so broken and so earnest that Kurt couldn't help but believe them.

He swallowed thickly and cradled Blaine's head against his shoulder. "I know, sweetheart. I know."

In truth, it explained a lot. It explained the longing glances and the way Blaine's face lit up every time Sebastian was around, but the question still remained:  _Why?_

Why was Blaine bound to Sebastian? Why was Kurt bound to Blaine if Blaine belonged to Sebastian? And most importantly, why did knowing that Blaine was bound to Sebastian not change a single thing about how Kurt felt about him? It was like finding out a secret that he'd already known and had time to brace himself for.

Blaine's breathing had evened out beside him, alcohol and exhaustion finally dragging him to sleep. Kurt pressed a kiss to his forehead as he lowered him until he was lying in the backseat, removing his own coat and sliding it under Blaine's head as a pillow.

He climbed in the driver's seat, his mind reeling around the confusion of the evening but always coming back to the question of what this all meant, for him, for Blaine, for Sebastian?

Kurt turned the key and started the car, casting a glance in the rearview mirror to Blaine's sleeping form before taking a deep breath and backing out of the parking space, a dull ache in his chest that he couldn't quite explain.

* * *

Sebastian had watched the pair walk out the door. Well, Kurt had walked, Blaine had been towed. As soon as they were out of sight, Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to scream or punch something. The alcohol was wearing off and the aching sting of loneliness was setting in again. He crossed the dance floor to the bar and ordered another drink, disappearing back to the table they'd been at earlier, hiding away with his thoughts, doing his best to drown them out with the fog of alcohol.

Dancing with Kurt and Blaine had been nothing short of incredible. He could feel warmth, comfort, and contentment sink into his bones as they all danced, close enough to be touching. His body screamed for him to give in to the feeling, but he fought it. His mind didn't want it, or at least, was terrified to admit that it wanted the bond. Terrified of what it meant.

The bond meant trusting others with everything about himself. It meant giving himself completely to Kurt and Blaine and trusting that they wouldn't hurt him.

But  _everyone_  hurt him.

He'd built up walls to keep the world out, to stop himself from being hurt. To stop himself from being used and tossed aside like trash.

He'd built the walls to try and convince people that he couldn't  _be_  hurt. It was an act, and everyone believed it. They believed that he was "cold heartless Sebastian" incapable of feelings. It was exactly what he wanted.

The most terrifying thing was that the walls kept falling around Kurt and Blaine. He always ended up showing just a bit more of his true self than he had ever wanted to. It made him feel vulnerable and scared and he hated it. He hated not having the upper hand in all situations, hated trusting his fate to an outside force, determined to control it himself.

He took another pull from his beer bottle and looked around the bar and caught the eye of a not unattractive guy at the bar, tall, dark hair, cute enough face. Usually, he'd catch the eye of a cute guy at the bar and the game would be on. He'd put on his most charming smile and talk his way right into the new guy's pants. There was always a drive toward finding the hottest guy, being able to say "I've had everyone in this bar", but tonight he felt nothing. If anything, he felt empty.

The guy smiled at Sebastian from his bar stool. He had a pretty smile, Sebastian noticed. It was sort of like Blaine's only it didn't light his whole face up when he smiled. Sebastian took another drink as the guy crossed the dance floor to drop down into a chair beside him. He had blue eyes. They were the color of the ocean, but they were also clouded with the haze of alcohol. Blue eyes only made Sebastian think of Kurt.

_Did he make it home okay? What was his home like? Was Blaine staying the night?_

"Hi," the guy said, a cocky smile spreading across his face.

This stranger obviously thought himself very attractive. Sebastian just couldn't see it. His skin was a bit too tan and his eyes weren't quite the right shade of blue. He was too tall and he didn't smell like spearmint. There was nothing warm or comforting about his eyes, instead they were sharp and focused.

Sadness panged in Sebastian's chest. He missed looking into Blaine's warm, honey eyes. Sebastian took another drink and returned the stranger's greeting.

The guy reached out and stroked Sebastian's cheek and he couldn't help the way it made his stomach turn. He set the beer down, suddenly very disinterested in drinking any more.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful lips?" The stranger purred, doing his best to be seductive.

People had told him that. Every time he came into the bar. The compliment meant nothing coming from them. It was always a lead in to something else, so Sebastian waited for it, knowing what was coming next.

He felt the pad of the guy's thumb slide over his bottom lip, fighting the urge to slap it away. "How 'bout we put those beautiful lips to good use?" The way he winked as he finished the pick up line made acid rise in Sebastian's throat.

They were the same pick up lines every night, so why should it matter tonight?

"Sorry," Sebastian muttered, suddenly very interested in drinking his beer again. "Not tonight."

"Come on," the stranger whined, his lip jutting out in what was supposed to be an adorable pout.

It was nothing like the beautiful way Blaine's full lips had pouted as Kurt suggested they leave. He wouldn't have denied  _those lips_  anything. Sebastian pushed the thought away and took another drink.

"Or..." the stranger suggested, his hand massaging Sebastian's thigh under the table. "I could show you what  _my_  lips can do."

His body was telling him to get up and leave. There's no way he could ever feel anything for this boy and he'd hate himself later ( _What else was new?_ ). It was that desire in his body that made the choice for him. He was going to prove to himself that he didn't need Kurt and Blaine. There was a boy, who may or may not be attractive, who was willing to go down on him, so damn it, he was going to take the opportunity.

The thought made him feel a little sick, but he drained the rest of his beer and plastered a sexy smirk onto his face, standing up and walking toward the bathroom. The stranger followed; they always followed.

* * *

The sun was streaming through the window, but Kurt realized that it was too early for him to have woken up on his own. Blaine was curled into his side, asleep, his legs tangled with Kurt's, his arm thrown across Kurt's chest, clinging. It was warm and perfect just like every morning he gets to wake up to Blaine sleeping beside him, but he always sleeps longer, so why was awake now?

As if to answer his question, a tinny ringing came from somewhere close by. He peeked over the side of the bed to see Blaine's phone sticking out of the pocket of his jeans on the floor, the screen lit up. Kurt reached down and picked it up, eager to stop the piercing noise.

"H-Hello?" He mumbled sleepily, his voice quiet to avoid waking Blaine.

The answering voice sounds smug and Kurt rolled his eyes immediately, Sebastian.

"Hey, dollface, where's Blaine?" Kurt can hear the sneer in the boy's voice.

"He's asleep. It's six o'clock in the morning," Kurt replied sharply.

"Yeah...I know...I was hoping to talk to you, but I didn't have your number." There was hesitancy in Sebastian's voice the Kurt had never quite heard before.

"About what?" Kurt said, trying to keep his voice sharp. He still wanted to be angry with Sebastian.

"Blaine."

"What about him?" Kurt's voice was flat.

"I just-" Sebastian broke off, and it was easy to hear the frustration in his voice. He let out a huff of breath. "Just—nevermind. I've gotta go."

"Sebastian..." Kurt tried, but the line had already disconnected.

More frustrated and confused than ever, Kurt rolled to the side and watched Blaine sleep, his face peaceful and relaxed. It filled Kurt with so much warmth to be able to hold him as he slept and wake up to his face in the morning. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the sleeping boy's forehead, threading his fingers through his curls.

The love that he had for Blaine hadn't diminished in the slightest, if anything, he found himself falling more and more in love each day. He couldn't help but wonder if it was only going to end in heartbreak for him. The name on Blaine's wrist certainly wasn't Kurt's, and he couldn't help wonder what that meant.

His mind drifted through possible means of researching the situation, but he was terrified that he might find out that he was going to lose Blaine. He didn't think he could bear the thought? Was it natural that he felt something toward the person his soulmate was bound to? Were they some sort of extension of the bind?

Kurt's head was swimming and he felt confused tears pricking at his eyes. He fought the urge to throw the phone that's still clutched in his hand when it chimes. He lifted the phone and read the message.

_**From Sebastian:** I know you've still got his phone, Kurt. Just wanted to let you know that I'm really looking forward to seeing our Blaine on stage tonight. ;)_

Kurt let the phone fall to the bed beside him, completely unsettled by the message. It was supposed to sound snide and make him jealous, but for a brief second, Kurt felt warmth shoot through his veins at the words  _"our Blaine_ ".

His tears began to fall in earnest and the sound of his sobs must have woken Blaine because he suddenly felt the warm weight of Blaine's arm pulling him against his chest.

"Kurt, hey, what's the matter?" He asked, sleep still fogging his brain.

"S-Sebastian...I just...Blaine...I don't-" He stuttered, beginning several sentences but breaking off as he realized he had no idea how to finish them.

Blaine pulled him closer, kissing the top of his head as he cradled it against his chest. "Shh, baby...it's alright." He tightened his arm around Kurt's middle and kissed his head again. He reached down and picked up the phone that Kurt had dropped on the mattress, the screen still showing the text message that Sebastian had sent.

"Oh," he breathed, understanding in his voice. "Kurt, baby, I love  _you_. I don't understand any of this. I'm so confused, Kurt, but I love  _you_."

Kurt's breath hitched and he clutched Blaine's t-shirt in his hand tightly. "Blaine, I'm scared," he choked.

"Shh...baby...shh," Blaine soothed, stroking his hair. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

"It hurts." The words came out before Kurt had a chance to stop them. Blaine just held him closer.

His breath hitched as he kissed the top of Kurt's hair whispering, "I know, sweetheart. I know."

Kurt curled in closer to Blaine's side, thanking a deity that he didn't believe in for the fact that they'd been excused from school to prepare for the show. There was  _no_ way he could handle school when he felt as though he was going to break at any second. He ducked his head into the crook of his boyfriend's neck and cried, feeling the tears from Blaine's eyes soaking the strands of his hair as the younger boy continued to drop kisses to the top of his head.

* * *

The curtain had no more than fallen on opening night of the McKinley High production of West Side Story when Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and dragged him toward the changing room, eager to get dressed and get back to his house as quickly as possible.

Both boys had agreed that it would be best to just spend a night trying to figure everything out  _without_  seeing Sebastian. They'd dressed in their own clothes and had almost made it to the door, a service door to avoid going out the front and potentially running into Sebastian, when Puck stepped in their path holding Beth, looking more than frantic.

Blaine's face lit up and he reached out for her. She smiled and let him take her. He held her close and murmured to her in a way that sent warmth flooding through Kurt.

"Noah, what's wrong?" Kurt asked, reaching forward to stroke the little girl's cheek and smile at her before turning back to face Puck.

"Dude, I just got a call. My sister's in the hospital and I need to get there, but I can't take Beth. Shelby left her with me for the weekend while she went out of town.

"Do you want us to watch her?" Blaine asked, looking up.

"Would you?" Puck asked, his tone hopeful and still anxious.

Kurt rolled his eyes at the question, pretty sure that, whether or not Puck  _wanted_ Blaine to take Beth or not, he wasn't getting his daughter back anytime soon.

"Of course we will, Puck. We love Beth!" Blaine replied, kissing the little girl on the forehead and giggling as she squeezed his face. "Did you hear that, sweetheart, you're coming home with Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine."

The excitement in Blaine's voice was enough to put a smile on Kurt's face.

"Thank you guys  _so_ much," Puck said, relief sinking into his tone. "I've got her stuff in the truck if you wanna come get it, Blaine."

Blaine nodded and reached into his pocket to fish out his keys, putting them into Kurt's outstretched hand and kissing him on the cheek. "Go warm the car up, babe. I'll be right there."

He turned to follow Puck to the parking lot and Kurt called after his retreating figure, "You know you're completely adorable, right?" Blaine spun around and gave Kurt a bright smile that made the older boy giggle before turning around and leaving through the service door.

He'd made it about halfway down the concrete stairs before he heard a slurred voice call out.

"Oh hey, look who it is."

Kurt's blood froze as he turned toward Rick the Stick and another boy he didn't recognize.

"Did you have fun playing Maria, ladyboy?"

Kurt just turned and kept walking until he felt a hand on his shoulder turning him around. Rick crowded him until his back was against the front of the dumpster next to the stairs. "I think I asked you a question, Nancy."

"Oh, that's original," Kurt barked, trying to shove the hockey player but not quite able to get enough leverage. He slammed Kurt back against the front of the dumpster with a loud crash.

Rick lifted him by the front of his jacket and he closed his eyes, because he knew what came next. He was going in the dumpster.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

The sharp voice close by was enough to distract Rick enough for Kurt to drop to his feet and shove him back.

Kurt turned to see Sebastian standing a few feet away. The other person with Rick had left, clearly not loyal enough to stay with his friend during any sort of conflict. Sebastian's body looked as though it was shaking and his fists were balled tightly at his sides. His eyes were wild with fury.

"Kurt, come stand behind me," he commanded, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. Kurt obeyed and went to get behind the taller boy. Sebastian turned around for a second, his eyes raking over Kurt appraisingly. "You okay, Kurt?"

Kurt nodded and Sebastian apparently believed him.

Rick was drunk and obviously unhappy that his fun had been interrupted. "What the fuck's your problem, dude? The queer has it comin', walkin' around flaunting himself like that."

"What did you just call him?" Sebastian shouted, taking a deliberate step forward, putting him right in Rick's personal space. "Because if you just called him what I  _think_  you called him, then  _this_  queer's about to kick your ass!"

The threat apparently didn't register in Rick's drunken brain, because he continued. "He just prances through the halls with that little Hobbit homo and it gives me the creeps."

Sebastian shoved Rick backward, hard, a growl ripping from his throat has he cocked back his arm and landed a punch square to the hockey player's jaw. "How fucking dare you?!"

Kurt just stood, frozen, confused by the fight and the fact that Sebastian was defending him.

Rick came back quickly, his fist flying out and catching Sebastian in the eye. Sebastian was quick to catch the arm and shove the other boy roughly to the ground and give him a swift kick to the ribs. Rick curled in on himself and Sebastian stepped back, pointing his finger at the hockey player, his voice furious.

"You listen to me, you inbred fuck, you even look at him or Blaine again and next time I won't stop until you're  _fucking_  bleeding, got me?"

Rick nodded against the pavement and Sebastian turned around to Kurt, taking his hand and pulling him away. They got around the side of the building and Kurt pulled hard on Sebastian's arm to make him stop, his free hand reaching up toward the taller boy's face.

"Sebastian, you're eye..."

"It's fine, come on," he said dismissively, trying to pull Kurt again but he wouldn't be moved.

"How'd you know where I was?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian stopped trying to get away, freezing, looking confused. "I—I'm not sure." He tried to cover up his lapse by making a snide remark. "But I figured you were a damsel in distress somewhere, princess."

"Stop it, Sebastian," Kurt snapped. "Why did you do that?"

"Would you rather have gone in the dumpster?"

Kurt was silent. He wasn't going to get anywhere when Sebastian was obviously unwilling to answer his questions.

"Let me look at your eye," Kurt insisted, turning the boy's head toward the light from the floodlight. There was an angry purple bruise forming right under his eye and it looked painful to blink. "That's pretty bad, Sebastian. I don't want you driving when you can't see."

"I can see fine," Sebastian snapped.

"Don't care. Come on."

Kurt grabbed his hand again, feeling the inexplicable sparks shoot across his skin at the touch, and dragged him to the car. Blaine was standing next to the passenger's side door, holding Beth and looking worried.

"Kurt, oh my God, I was starting to get worried. Where were-"

He broke off when he saw Sebastian step into view, his eyes widening when he saw the bruise blooming on the boy's face. "What happened?" He asked walking to Sebastian quickly and lifting his hand to his face instinctively before flinching and pulling it back.

Sebastian was looking at his feet and Kurt answered, "Rick tried to throw me in the dumpster and Sebastian stopped him."

Blaine's eyes darted back and forth between the boys. "You can't drive with that shiner, Sebastian."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Yes, I've been told already."

"He's going to stay with us tonight. I figured we can put him in Cooper's old room with Beth," Kurt suggested and Blaine nodded along.

"Do you mind sharing a room with a baby? She's a sweetheart. She's already asleep." Blaine clutched the little girl closer, fixing the blanket he had draped over her tiny shoulders.

Sebastian shrugged as Kurt unlocked the car and picked up the carseat to fasten it to the backseat. "Blaine, I can't figure this thing out. Will you help me?"

Blaine kissed Beth's head and looked at Sebastian sheepishly. "Would you hold her for a second?"

"Whatever." He reached forward and took the little girl, adjusting her blanket and turning away from the wind and tucking Beth's head under his chin. She nuzzled unconsciously into his neck.

"Alright," Blaine said softly, reaching to take Beth, but Sebastian held her.

"It's okay. I'll get her all buckled in. You guys get in the car," Sebastian answered, climbing into the backseat and setting the little girl into her carseat and buckling her in. Blaine leaned in and dropped a kiss to her forehead, his shoulder brushing Sebastian's chest, so close that the taller boy could smell his cologne. It sent another fresh ache spreading through Sebastian's body.

Kurt started the car and everything was silent except the gentle hum of the engine, each of the boys silently breathing a sigh of relief at the comfort that set in from being so close. Finally feeling as though he could take a full breath, Sebastian leaned his head against the window and let his eyes slide closed, dozing off within minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"'bastian...Sebastian..."

Blaine's voice pulled Sebastian from his sleep, shrugging away from where Blaine was gently shaking him with a groan. Blaine laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Come on, we're here," Blaine said, a soft smile on his face, reaching forward and helping Sebastian out of the empty car.

"'s Kurt and the baby?" Sebastian mumbled, leaning heavily into Blaine's side.

"They're inside already. Kurt's putting Beth down. Come on, he's already laid out pajamas for you."

Blaine kicked off his shoes, prompting Sebastian to do the same, before leading him upstairs.

Kurt was just coming out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on his pants. "Oh, good, Blaine, you're here. Beth woke up and I can't get her back to sleep. You're so good with her, so I thought you should try."

Blaine smiled and pressed a kiss to Kurt's lips before lifting Beth from her playpen. He sang to her softly, carefully rocking her until she calmed down. She tucked her head under his chin and was asleep within minutes. Kurt entered the room just as Blaine was lowering her back into the playpen.

"She out?" He asked in a whisper.

"Yup. Where's Sebastian?"

"Getting changed in the bathroom. He refused to take the t-shirt. He says he gets hot in his sleep."

Blaine nodded and took Kurt's hand, leading him out of the room. Sebastian was standing awkwardly in the hall right outside the door, clad only in a pair of Kurt's cotton pajama bottoms and a thick leather bracelet around his left wrist.

"You're sure you don't mind sharing a room with her? Kurt and I could switch rooms with you for the night," Blaine offered, feeling guilty for sticking a guest in a room with a baby.

"Nah, I'm fine," Sebastian answered, lifting his hand to rub at the back of his neck.

"Alright. Goodnight then," Kurt said, suddenly feeling just as awkward. "Don't forget to leave the door open so we can hear Beth if she cries, alright?"

"Okay. 'Night."

Kurt took Blaine's hand and led him toward his bedroom.

They changed in silence and fell heavily into bed, curling into each other side with a sigh.

"You were amazing tonight, Blaine," Kurt complimented, lifted Blaine's hand to his lips and pressing a kiss against the back. "No one could have been a better Tony."

"Your Officer Krupke, killed," Blaine countered, leaning over to kiss Kurt's lips. "I love you, Kurt."

"I love you, too, Blaine," Kurt said quietly, kissing his boyfriend on the lips.

The dull ache in Blaine's chest wouldn't subside. He laid in bed staring at the ceiling and listening to Kurt's breathing. It sounded like he was trying to keep a normal rhythm, like he was trying very hard not to let his emotions overcome him.

Blaine's voice was barely above a whisper and he didn't take his eyes off the ceiling when he whispered, "You feel it too, don't you?"

"Yes."

"What does it mean?" Blaine asked, his voice calm and even.

"I have no idea, but I need to figure it out," Kurt said, his voice determined and a little sad.

Kurt scooted closer and pressed a kiss to Blaine's lips. "We'll figure this out. I don't think we have a choice. I can't do this anymore. It hurts too much."

Blaine nodded and kissed Kurt again. "I love you, Kurt. So much."

A small smile touched Kurt's face. "I love you, too."

* * *

It had taken at least an hour of feeling the aching pull in their chests before they finally fell asleep. Which is why being woken up less than an hour later by the sound of a screaming baby was definitely not ideal.

Kurt reached out and shook Blaine. "Blaine...the baby..."

Blaine cuddled closer into Kurt's side, burying his face under Kurt's arm. "You get her. 'm tired."

The fight went on for long enough that they'd actually woken themselves up with the argument. Suddenly, Kurt shushed Blaine.

"Blaine, listen." Kurt held his hand out and Blaine sat up. Beth had stopped crying.

They exchanged a worried glance and slid out of bed. They made it to the hall before they could hear the sound of quiet singing.

Blaine made a confused face and looked toward Kurt whose eyes were wide and brimming with tears.

He turned to Blaine and breathlessly answered the silent question in his eyes. "It's French. He's singing to Beth in French."

A step further and they could see inside room, only dimly lit by the bedside lamp. Sebastian was standing in front of the playpen holding Beth against his bare chest, cradling her head against his shoulder as he sang the soft lullaby in her ear, letting his thumb slide across the back of her blonde curls as he bounced her lightly.

The song finished and Sebastian dropped a kiss to the top of Beth's head. She stirred quietly, but Sebastian was quick to soothe. Whispering soft shushes and murmuring, "Dors mon ange", softly in her ear.

She settled down and he pressed another kiss to the top of her blonde hair before he carefully set her back in her playpen, covering her with her blanket and brushing a lock of hair off her forehead.

He didn't jump when Blaine came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. "That was beautiful, Sebastian."

He didn't take his eyes away from Beth's sleeping form as he answered. "Yeah, well someone had to get the brat to sleep, and you two sure as hell weren't gonna do it. I think she had a nightmare. She woke me up."

There was no heat behind the words, his voice soft and quiet, his green eyes warm with affection.

Kurt spoke from behind Blaine. "Was that something your mother used to sing?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised I remembered all the words."

They stood in silence for a moment, watching Beth sleeping peacefully under her blanket.

"Now, I'm going back to bed. Kurt if you'd kindly get the hell out. Blaine is welcome to stay, of course..."

Kurt shot him a withering glance that had no power and towed Blaine back to bed.

* * *

After trying for over an hour, Kurt finally gave up on trying to sleep. He tightened his hold on Blaine and pulled him closer until his back was flush with Kurt's front. He dropped a kiss to the side of Blaine's neck and heard him make a soft sound of appreciation.

Kurt breathed out a sigh and laced his fingers with Blaine's against the younger boy's belly. "You're not asleep either, are you?"

Blaine shook his head silently, shifting further into Kurt's arms before deciding to just turn around and rest his head against his boyfriend's chest instead.

"I can't stop thinking," Blaine said by way of explanation. "And I feel guilty because I love you  _so_  much and when you hold me it feels so amazing, Kurt, just to be so close to you, but I-"

"Wish Sebastian was here, too," Kurt finished softly, dropping a kiss to the top of Blaine's curls. His tone wasn't an accusation. It was more of an admission. He felt it too.

"You're not mad?" Blaine asked, his tone a little wary.

Kurt kissed his hair again. "No, sweetheart, I'm not mad. I get it. He's so close, but he still feels too far away. I want him here, too, Blaine."

"God, Kurt," Blaine breathed in a huff of frustration. "What does this mean? I love you so much that it hurts. That hasn't changed at all. When I kiss you or hold you or touch you, everything feels so strong and amazing.  _You_ are my soulmate, Kurt! So why is  _his_  name on my wrist? Why do I feel the same thing when he touches me? Why is  _my_ name on  _your_ wrist if  _his_  name is on mine?" Blaine's voice was shaking and sounded dangerously close to tears.

Kurt's hand froze where it had been threading through Blaine's curls.

"Sebastian's wrist..." Kurt's voice was nothing higher than an awed breath.

Blaine looked up at him curiously, his warm honey eyes swimming with tears, but Kurt was already sititng up. "Kurt, what's going on? What's wrong?"

Kurt was already on his feet, pulling Blaine off the bed. He stopped halfway to the door, turning to Blaine and softly speaking. "Blaine, I want you to think about this. If  _your_ name is on  _my_  wrist and  _his_  name is on yours..."

Blaine's eyes flew open wide. "Oh my God..." The whispered words trailed off, lingering heavily in the air.

They stood in the doorway to the guest room, their eyes watching the tall boy sleeping fitfully, his lips twitching down into a frown. Kurt was the first to cross the threshold, reaching behind himself blindly for Blaine's hand and sighing with relief when it found his own.

Sebastian's arm hung off the side of the bed; the boy himself looked in danger of falling over the edge. Kurt sat down on the little ledge of space between Sebastian's torso and the edge of the mattress, his eyes locked on the thick leather bracelet wrapped around the sleeping boy's wrist. Blaine carded his fingers through Kurt's hair as a comforting reassurance.

Kurt took a deep breath and reached forward to unclasp the bracelet, letting it fall away to the floor.

By the moonlight filtering through the curtains, Kurt could see the name  _"Kurt Hummel"_ etched into Sebastian's wrist in his own elegant script.

* * *

For the second time that night, Sebastian woke to someone shaking him awake. His eyes slid open, taking in the charged atmosphere of the room. His gaze flickered immediately between Kurt and Blaine's faces.

Something was wrong, even if his sleep fogged brain wouldn't let him figure it out yet. He sat up immediately, rubbing his eyes. "What's the matter? Are you both alright?" He mumbled, his voice full of concern. He reached out to take Kurt's hand before freezing. He'd done too much, overplayed his hand.

He was just about to wrench his hand back from where it was hanging awkwardly midway between himself and Kurt, but Kurt reached out and took it, squeezing gently and sending warmth shooting through his body. He wanted to fight, to tell Kurt to let go and get out, but he couldn't bring himself to speak.

"It's okay, Sebastian. We know about your wrist," Blaine whispered, sitting down beside Kurt and resting his hand on Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian's guard flew up and immediately, a million things that he  _should_  say popped into his head.

_I don't know what you're talking about._

_That means nothing. Neither of_ you _mean anything._

But it would have been a lie. He wanted to lie, knew he should lie, but when he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was a whispered, "I'm  _so_  scared. I—I don't know what to do."

Blaine and Kurt both came to life in the same instant, leaning forward and wrapping their arms around him, and Sebastian couldn't help but lean into the touch, tears suddenly spilling over and sliding silently down his face. He knew he'd lost. He couldn't fight anymore. The way Kurt and Blaine were holding him felt too perfect. For the first time in his life, he felt safe.

Kurt pulled back slightly, looking into Sebastian's eyes, thumbing away a stray tear on his cheek. "I don't understand any of this either, but all I know is that Blaine and I can't sleep because you're over here, and it didn't look like you were having an easy time of it either," Kurt said seriously, Blaine nodding behind him.

Blaine stood up and took his hand, a soft smile on his face. "Come to bed, Sebastian."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Five**

* * *

Sebastian followed Blaine in silence, his mind reeling over the feeling of Blaine's hand in his, over Kurt's hand on his lower back. His entire body thrummed with an indescribable feeling—a warm tingle running down his spine and radiating out to touch every nerve. He felt himself trembling, but he couldn't bring himself to be afraid, not with the feeling of Kurt and Blaine so close.

Without conscious permission, he'd allowed himself to want. He wanted more. More of what, he wasn't entirely sure, but he was willing to do anything to prolong the perfect feeling of complete wholeness that he was experiencing for the first time in his life. His body relaxed as he crossed the threshold of Blaine's bedroom, his body seeming to sense that his mind had stopped fighting.

Kurt's hand slid up his back as the three stopped at the edge of the bed, unsure of how to proceed. Sebastian felt Blaine's eyes on him as he turned to face Kurt, his blue eyes anxious, his full bottom lip trapped between his teeth. Again, without conscious thought, Sebastian lifted a hand to rest on Kurt's cheek, his thumb gently sliding across Kurt's lip, freeing it from his teeth.

He felt Blaine's hand tighten in his own, heard the smaller boy's breath come out in a soft whimper as he raised his other hand to rest on the small of Sebastian's back.

Sebastian's eyes were flickering in a torturous circuit between soft blue eyes and beautiful lips, and he threw away the last of his hesitation, his voice barely above a whisper when he asked, "Kurt, can I kiss you?"

Kurt swallowed thickly, his eyes flitting away from Sebastian's face long enough to meet Blaine's in a silent exchange. He must have found the answer he was looking for in Blaine's eyes, because slowly, Kurt's eyes slid back to Sebastian's and he nodded. It was all Sebastian needed before using the hand still resting on Kurt's cheek to tilt his head up and press their lips together in a featherlight brush that sent Sebastian's mind flying as sparks of pleasure crackling across his skin, warmth settling into his bones.

The kiss was over just as quickly as it began, leaving both boy's flushed and breathless, their eyes locked. Blaine broke the silence, his soft voice full of emotion and wonder.

"So beautiful," he breathed. "You're both  _so_  beautiful."

Kurt and Sebastian turned to Blaine simultaneously, and Sebastian immediately gave himself over to the inexplicable want surging through his body. He reached forward and took Blaine's left hand, examining the script on his wrist before lifting it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to it before sliding his thumb across the lettering as he leaned down to kiss Blaine, reveling in the way he could feel the smaller boy's body melting into his own, a soft whimper escaping his lips as he pulled Sebastian closer.

Kurt's arms wound around Sebastian's middle as he started nosing along the side of Sebastian's neck, pressing fleeting kisses to the skin. They broke the kiss and immediately Kurt's lips were attached to Blaine's, sending a shudder of pure arousal rippling through Sebastian's body.

" _Amazing._ " The whispered word slipped out on a breath before Sebastian even registered the thought and suddenly Kurt's lips were back on his own, Blaine's hands roaming across his front as Sebastian's hands fell to the hem of Kurt's t-shirt, pausing long enough to give Kurt a chance to pull away, but he lifted his arms and let the shirt be pulled from his body.

Blaine immediately started dropping kisses to the newly exposed skin of Kurt's shoulder as Sebastian's tongue slid past Kurt's lips, eliciting a breathy whine. Kurt's hand flew to Sebastian's hair, fingers tangling in the sandy blond locks.

Hands roamed across bare chests and backs as lips met heated skin until all three broke away, their breathing ragged. Blaine was the first to speak, reluctantly lifting his lips away from where he was pressing fleeting kisses to the rapidly fluttering pulse of Sebastian's neck.

"Can we-" He swallowed thickly, his voice thready with want. "Can we lie down?"

Kurt and Sebastian exchanged a quick glance, easily finding the answer in the other's eyes and nodding simultaneously. Kurt squeezed his eyes shut and reached for Blaine's arm with a quiet, "Wait."

Two pairs of curious eyes were immediately on Kurt's face, his pale skin flushed a gorgeous shade of pink. "If this is going where I think it's going—" Kurt shook his head again. "I just—Blaine and I have never-"

Sebastian kissed him quickly on the lips to silence his worry. "It's okay. We can go slow. I want both of you to be comfortable. Want this to be perfect. We don't have to do anything at all, if you don't want to," Sebastian assured.

Blaine had tangled his fingers into Sebastian's, his free hand cupping Kurt's cheek, thumb sliding across the warm blush that colored his skin.

Kurt bit his lip, but again, Sebastian freed it with the pad of his thumb. Finally, Kurt spoke, his voice quiet. "Could we just—I mean—if it's okay with you—can we just  _sleep together_ tonight. Like,  _just_  sleep?"

Blaine nodded his agreement and dropped a kiss to Sebastian's shoulder before leaning forward to kiss Kurt softly on the lips. "Of course, Kurt," Blaine whispered against his boyfriend's lips.

Then it was Sebastian's turn to nod his assent. He had been surprised to find just how honest his words had been. He  _was_  perfectly content to go at Kurt and Blaine's speed. He wrapped his arms fully around Kurt's waist and pulled him close, turning his head to kiss Kurt's temple when the other boy rested his head against his shoulder.

"Whatever you want, Kurt." Another kiss. "Whatever you want."

Blaine dropped a quick kiss to Sebastian's shoulder, and he could feel the smile on the younger boy's lips against his skin before he pulled away and climbed onto the bed, reaching out toward Kurt and Sebastian.

Sebastian took his hand without a thought and let himself be pulled down, taking Kurt with him and pulling him flush against his front, a satisfied smile crossing his features when he felt Kurt shift back in an attempt to get impossibly closer. Sebastian draped his arm over Kurt's waist until it was a warm weight against his bare stomach and pressed a kiss to the back of the boy's neck as he shimmied back into Blaine's hold.

Warmth settled over him, sinking into his bones and making him feel tired in the most perfect way. He felt Blaine's lips moving around the knob of his spine, drifting over the wings of his shoulder blades and felt the welcome weight of the smaller boy's arm around his middle. Kurt's fingers were loosely tangled with his own against his stomach, so he nosed along the back of the boy's neck, pressing light, reverent kisses to the skin until he felt Kurt's body relax into his own, his breathing evening out with sleep.

Blaine had hooked his chin over Sebastian's shoulder, his body pressed flush against the taller boy's back, pressing a final sleepy kiss to the side of Sebastian's neck before falling asleep shortly after Kurt.

Sebastian just laid in silence, emotion flooding through him to feel the warm bodies pressed against his own, their chests rising and falling in tandem as they slept, and the thought settled over him like an epiphany.  _This_ is how it should be.  _This_ is how it's  _supposed_ to be.

He wouldn't let himself worry about what would happen in the morning, because, right then, he didn't care. He pressed a kiss to the back of Kurt's neck before letting sleep take him as well, finally feeling truly whole for the first time in his entire life.

* * *

When Sebastian woke up, he felt heat pressing against him from both sides. It should have felt too warm. He should have instinctively tried to distance himself from the source, but everything about the situation screamed  _perfect_. He was still sinking through the layers of sleep, his eyes not even open yet, and he found himself curiously shifting forward into one of the warm things that surrounded him, sighing contentedly when he felt the  _thing_  shimmy back until it was pressed flush against his front.

As the sleep wore off, reality set in. His senses came back to him, registering for the first time since waking up, the dull ache in his left eye. Realization continued to sink in as he realized that the  _thing_  he was pressed against was a warm body, just like the one that had shifted closer and was curled against his back. He could smell the warm scent of cologne and clean sweat and  _boy_.

Comfort and warmth flooded through his body, but along with it came panic. Complete and absolute panic. He remembered last night in waves—the touching, the intensity, the words—and his eyes flew open. His face was inches away from the back of Kurt's neck and he warred with the desire to just lean forward and press a kiss to the exposed skin.

More panic bubbled up into his throat as two things hit him at once. The first was the reality that  _last night_  had actually happened. Kurt and Blaine knew about his bind.

It was the second thought, however, that hit Sebastian the hardest: Last night was the first night in his entire life that he'd ever stayed the night with someone after any sort of intimacy.

He pulled his hand out from under Kurt's pillow and it flashed to cover his mouth in an attempt to stifle the hysterical noise that slipped out. None of that was supposed to happen. They'd torn down his guard and seen the real person underneath, seen far deeper than the bravado act that he always kept in place. Even though his body was fighting with his mind, pleading to just lie in the arms of the two beautiful, amazing boys forever, to just give in, his rational brain was screaming to run. To get as far away as possible.

His heart gave a sick thump as a not-so-subtle reminder of what separation would feel like, but he couldn't stay. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks as he unwound himself from the sleeping boys. He couldn't let them any closer. He had to get away.

Panic and terror tore through his body. They couldn't love him. They  _shouldn't_ love him. Their love was innocent and pure and he could never return that.  _He_ wasn't innocent and sure as hell wasn't pure. They deserved someone who could treat them the way they deserved to be treated—with gentle kindness and reverence—and that someone wasn't him.

The intensity of the emotion he felt toward the two sleeping boys scared the hell out of him. He'd made it his life goal to keep people out. The weight of the love he felt for Kurt and Blaine felt like it should be enough to crush him, but instead it made him feel weightless and open, a feeling that terrified him more. He was in love. And he was scared.

He carefully eased his way off the bed and toward the door. His defenses back in place, his mind began formulating a plan, making quick work of trying to convince him that he still had a chance to fight whatever  _this_  was. Because he had to fight.

He wanted to get angry. Angry at Blaine for ever coming to Dalton that day in the first place. Angry at Kurt for showing up at the Lima Bean when he was with Blaine. Angry at both of them for coming into his room last night and finding out his secret.

But he couldn't and the tears just continued to fall. He had to fight this, for his own good and for the good of Kurt and Blaine. They deserved better than him.

The ache in his chest had returned in full force as he'd made up his mind, returning to Blaine's room and standing over the bed. Blaine was now occupying the space that Sebastian had left, curled up comfortably against Kurt's back, his nose buried in the back of Kurt's hair, a soft smile playing on his face.

Sebastian's breath hitched in his throat as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kurt and Blaine's heads, sobs threatening to wrack his body. He threaded his fingers through their hair sadly, bringing his thumb to slide across the apple of Blaine's cheek, warm with sleep, before turning to leave.

He turned at the door casting a parting glance toward the sleeping pair, cuddled up beautifully on the bed.

The loudest thought in his head was a whispered,  _"I love you both. I'm so sorry."_

And then he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All italicized dialogue is spoken in French.

**Chapter Six**

* * *

When Kurt woke up to someone shaking him, something felt  _off_.

He'd been so content and warm when he'd fallen asleep that his first instinct was to shift away and burrow deeper under the blankets, but a quiet sob that accompanied one of the insistent shakes made him open his eyes, immediately meeting sad amber eyes that were brimming with tears and devastation.

"Blaine, oh my god, what's the matter?" Kurt breathed, reaching out to cradle the other boy against his chest. His heart broke at the way Blaine clung to his body as though it was the only thing keeping him together.

All Kurt could make out through the broken sobs were the words, "He's gone..."

 _That's_ what was different. Kurt felt the all-too-familiar ache settle into his chest. Only this time it was amplified by an overwhelming feeling of loss.

He'd found out how perfect it could feel to fall asleep in the arms of the ones he was clearly meant to be with, the comforting feeling of absolute contentment that he'd only read about in romance novels. He'd finally experienced it only to have the safety ripped away, the empty space instantly filled with worry and longing.

By the way Blaine was crying against his chest, Kurt knew that he could feel it too. Blaine's body was shaking against his own, painful-sounding sobs seizing his frame. He could feel the pain and confusion coursing through his boyfriend as if it were his own and wondered idly if Sebastian could feel it too. Something in the back of Kurt's mind knew that he could.

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut and pulled Blaine impossibly closer. He wanted to be angry with Sebastian for leaving, for hurting Blaine, but again, some part of him knew that, wherever he was, Sebastian was suffering just was much.

Instead of making Kurt feel better to know that the person who was causing Blaine and himself to feel pain was suffering for it, a wave of longing and helplessness washed over him to know that he wouldn't be able to ease Sebastian's pain.

A fresh sob tore from Blaine's throat. "Why did he leave, Kurt? Wh—What did we do?"

Of course that would be Blaine's first thought.

"Shh...sweetheart," Kurt soothed softly, cradling Blaine's head against the hollow of his shoulder. "It wasn't us. I know you can feel that. He's  _scared_ , Blaine."

Blaine nodded against Kurt's chest, his voice whisper quiet. "He's crying, Kurt. I don't know how I know that, but I can  _feel it_."

Kurt was at a loss for words, unable to comfort Blaine because it was true, and Kurt could feel it too. He just dropped a kiss to the top of Blaine's hair and whispered, "I know, sweetheart. I know."

* * *

Sebastian was about halfway back to where his car was parked at McKinley High when the rain started to fall in huge droplets, soaking him to the bone within seconds. It would have probably been funny under any other circumstances, but Sebastian barely noticed the chill of the early morning November rain.

He was already numb.

The only thing he felt was the stabbing ache in his chest and the feelings of hurt and confusion that he knew belonged to the boys he'd left behind.

Each step felt like a fight, a war against what his body needed and what the scared little boy inside him was trying to protect.

He'd accepted the bind. To him, there had never been any doubt as to what was happening. He was  _bound_ to Kurt and Blaine. Whatever force behind the universe—destiny or fate or God—had deemed them soulmates, and while he'd never heard of a three-way binding before, from the moment he'd seen Kurt and Blaine walk through the door as Scandals, there was no doubt about it. They were  _bound_.

A swell of emotions crashed over him as he felt the sobs he'd been painstakingly repressing break through his control and he began crying in earnest. The combination of his own pain coupled with the guilt of hurting Kurt and Blaine, the image of the pair lying in bed crying, hurt and confused, was enough to cause a primal scream to tear from Sebastian's throat as he kicked a nearby garbage can with all the force he could muster, sending it crashing through a bus shelter.

It happened, of course, at the same moment a police car drove past, not that Sebastian noticed until he heard an authoritative voice call out for him to stop, blue lights illuminating the predawn street.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?"

Sebastian turned toward the voice, unwilling and unable to find it in himself to be put up the front of being a respectable Dalton boy. He was just too tired and too fucking angry.

"Well, I was walking back to my car and then you stopped me," he said flatly, irritation coloring his tone. He just wanted to get home.

"Did you have anything to drink tonight, son?"

Sebastian had to laugh at that; the sound was bitter and sad. "You know, sir, I wish I had. I really,  _really_  wish I had."

The officer was growing impatient as he finally stepped out of the squad car, speaking quickly into the radio attached to his shoulder before approaching Sebastian. "You did some damage to that bus shelter, kid. Looks like the window's busted. How do you figure that happened?"

The condescending words made Sebastian bristle. He hated nothing more than being spoken to like an inferior, and it was enough to break the already shaky hold he had on his control.

"I  _figure_  it probably had something to do with the fucking trash can that went flying into it. I bet that probably did some damage," he bit out, his voice petulant and mocking. "But, you're the expert. Why don't you tell  _me_  what  _you_  figure happened?"

Judging by he scowl that was affixed to the officer's face, Sebastian had pushed too far. He opened the back door of the car. "Alright, son, get in."

Sebastian was going to argue, but as he opened his mouth to protest, he found that he just didn't care. It didn't matter. He was too tired.

* * *

"Sebastian! Get your ass back here!"

His father's harsh shouts rang through the house as the man closed the door behind the officer, thanking him for returning the boy and letting him off with a warning. Sebastian didn't even slow down as he rounded the corner into his bedroom, wrenching open his dresser drawers and grabbing fistfuls of random clothes to throw into the suitcase that was lying open on his bed.

He was halfway back to the bag with another armful of clothes when a pair of hands knocked the clothes to the floor and grabbed his arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The man barked, pulling hard on his son's arm until they were facing.

_Getting the Hell out of here. Running away. Making the biggest mistake of my life._

"Leaving," he said flatly, ripping his arm free and picking up the clothes to toss into the bag before rifling through his nightstand for his passport.

A disbelieving scoff came from his father. "I don't think so," he laughed, his voice mean and cold.

Sebastian's eyes scanned the room, looking for anything he left behind. His mind was made up. He was leaving no matter what his father said. The man's protests were just a minor inconvenience. He crossed the room and grabbed his watch from the dresser, lifting his wrist to slide it over his hand, a painful lump forming in his throat as his eyes landed on the name on his skin.

"Did you hear what I said? You're not going anywhere. So put all of this away," his father said coldly.

"I'm leaving," Sebastian stated as a matter of fact. "And you can't stop me."

The man's face screwed up with anger at his son's words. "Like hell I can't..." he threatened.

Sebastian just held up his wrist as evidence. He was bound. He no longer belonged to his father. His only tie was the name on his wrist (or at least, it  _should_ have been, he thought bitterly).

His father sputtered and faltered back a step. "You're..."

The word died on his lips. Sebastian nodded, not even half invested in the conversation. The only thing that mattered was getting the hell out of Ohio. His father had crossed to where Sebastian was standing and grabbed his wrist before he had a chance to pull it away.

" _Kurt Hummel?_ " His father spat. "The faggy son of that congressman?"

Sebastian's face screwed up with rage as he wrenched his arm free. "Yeah. Looks like I'm not gonna  _'grow out of it'_  after all, huh, dad?"

He didn't have time for his father's ignorance. He'd learned a long time ago that it was just best to ignore him, to not show that his words actually hurt. He threw the last of his things into the bag and zipped it closed, shouldering the strap as he pocketed his passport and breezed past his father on his way through the door.

"Sebastian! If you walk out that door, don't you  _dare_ come back!" The man shouted as he followed his son down the stairs.

The words were cut off by the sound of the door slamming as Sebastian walked out.

* * *

Puck came to get Beth around noon. Kurt managed to dodge the "Dude, you look like Hell...what's the matter?" questions, begging him to keep his voice down to avoid waking Blaine. He'd made Blaine take one of his mother's sleeping pills to help him relax. Blaine's hands had been shaking so badly that Kurt had to hold the glass to avoid spilling water all over the bed.

Kurt took a deep breath as he closed the door behind Puck, locking it and letting himself lean against the cool oak door. As much as it hurt, he had to be strong for Blaine. Only now that he was away did Kurt let the tears start to fall. His heart was still thudding out the same broken rhythm as he dropped down onto the couch.

He thought about Sebastian and allowed himself a moment to cry in earnest at the crushing feeling of loss and hurt before clearing his throat and pulling himself together. The pain hadn't relented but he had to push it down. For Blaine. For himself. He couldn't let the loss consume him the way it was consuming Blaine. He had to be strong and just hope against hope that Sebastian would come home eventually.

He reached forward to the coffee table and picked up his phone. A sigh escaped his lips as he dialed and lifted the handset to his ear, unsurprised when the call went directly to voicemail. He cleared his throat and left a message.

Kurt hung up the phone and held it in his hands. He spoke toward the phone as he twisted it anxiously in his fingers, but the words were only for himself. "Please come home, Sebastian."

* * *

Just over twelve hours after Sebastian left home, he was stepping off a plane in Charles De Gaulle International Airport an ocean away from Ohio. Even in the chaotic mess of people bustling around the airport, Sebastian still felt alone. He drained the last of his coffee and tossed the cup into the trash can before making his way outside, walking pointedly toward one of the ever-present taxis and rattling off an address.

The cabbie nodded and Sebastian let his head fall back against the seat, remembering only then that he'd failed to make any phone calls to inform anyone of his arrival. He sighed and fished his phone from his pocket, switching it back on and watching the screen flare to life. The device buzzed in his hand.

_One new voice message._

With shaky fingers he typed in his password and listened, his heart immediately breaking into impossibly smaller splinters as he recognized the voice. Even through the phone he could hear the hurt and sadness that colored the soft voice.

"Hey, Sebastian. It's Kurt. Whenever you're ready, we'll be here. Just do what you need and we'll be here." There was a soft intake of breath before Kurt continued, his voice sounding quiet and lost. "Just be safe, Sebastian. Please."

He held the phone against his ear even after the message ended, unable to move. His entire body felt cold despite the heat of the cab and he could feel a fresh wave of tears threatening to escape as he slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and held it in his hand, staring unseeingly at the screen for an immeasurable moment.

The sound of the cab driver speaking, his voice a little loud for the quiet of the car, made Sebastian jump. Judging by the impatient expression on the driver's face, he'd been trying to get the boy's attention for awhile.

Sebastian did his best to adopt an apologetic expression but felt it fall just short of believable. It was too much to try and fake emotion when all he felt was overwhelming exhaustion.

" _How much?"_ He asked, his tired voice flat and uncaring.

The driver pointed to the meter and Sebastian handed him what was probably too much money before climbing out of the cab and onto the street corner. The cab immediately sped away and Sebastian made his to the front entrance and let himself in the old wooden doors, shouldering his bag as he trudged up the ancient, familiar stairs to the third floor.

He took a deep breath as he dropped his bag on the ground in front of the door at the top of the stairs, leaning heavily against the doorframe and hoping that someone inside was awake before knocking three times on the door. The sound was sluggish and tired.

There were footsteps inside, approaching the door. Sebastian glanced at his watch and felt a dulled pang of guilt for showing up unannounced at one in the morning. It was only about 7:00 P.M. in Ohio. The footsteps slowed to a stop and Sebastian could see a shadow of feet in front of the door before a worried voice started speaking quickly as the door opened.

" _Sebastian, my beautiful boy!"_ He felt something that almost resembled safety wash over him as he was enveloped immediately in his grandmother's arms. She pulled him inside and shut the door, turning back around to frame his face with her small hands, stretching up on her tiptoes to press a motherly kiss to both cheeks and his forehead before wiping the spot with her thumb, a sad smile on her face as she led them both to the sofa, pulling Sebastian down beside her and taking his hand.  _"What's the matter? You are much too beautiful to look so miserable, my angel."_

Sebastian wanted to smile at the soft comforts, but he couldn't. A sob bubbled from his throat as he weakly lifted his wrist as an explanation before starting to cry in earnest. His grandmother's sympathetic gaze broke down the last of his composure. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him again and Sebastian let his head fall into the crook of her shoulders, letting himself be comforted in a way he hadn't since he was small.

She cradled his head against her shoulder and gently rocked him.

" _I'm so scared, mamie."_ His voice was broken and quiet.

The woman pressed a kiss to the side of his head and he tightened his arms around her shoulders as he clung to her side like a scared child during a thunderstorm. He held tight as though she could protect him from himself.

She held him until he cried himself out and then slid a hand across his back as she kissed his hair again as she nudged his shoulder to prompt him to lie down. He didn't put up any fight. He couldn't. He just stretched out on the too-small couch, vaguely aware of his shoes being removed and the blanket his grandmother was pulling up around his shoulders.

" _Sleep, my angel,"_ she whispered softly, brushing his hair away from his forehead and pressing a kiss there.  _"You're okay now."_

He wasn't. He really, really wasn't. But he let himself be comforted, too tired to fight off sleep any longer.

As his grandmother switched off the dim lights of the room, he let unconsciousness pull him under, sheer exhaustion winning out over the ache in his chest to let him sleep. He closed his eyes and prayed to a god he didn't believe in that he wouldn't dream.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All italicized dialogue is spoken in French.

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Kurt had silently moved around Blaine's room, carefully packing most of his clothes into a suitcase while he slept.

He did his best to ignore the way his boyfriend's face looked almost pained, the way his small body was curled into itself as small whimpers occasionally fell past his lips. It was the single most heartbreaking thing Kurt had ever seen.

As Kurt zipped the last suitcase closed, he decided there would be no argument. Blaine would come stay with him until the situation resolved itself, one way or another. It wasn't just the tragically fitful way Blaine was sleeping that made up Kurt's mind. As strong as he knew he needed to be for Blaine, he was devastated. The idea of going to bed alone was enough to send a wave of panic coursing through his body and make the tears he was so dutifully repressing threaten to spill over again.

Blaine shifted in a way that let Kurt know he was waking up, so he immediately crossed the room to lie down next to him, pulling the smaller boy into his arms as his eyes fluttered open, still red-rimmed and lost.

"Hey, sweetheart," Kurt said soothingly, brushing a stray curl from Blaine's forehead in a way he hoped would stem the panic that flashed in Blaine's eyes before he'd realized he wasn't in bed alone.

His voice is still heavy with sleep when he asks, "Has—Has he called yet?"

"No, honey, not yet." Kurt did his best to ignore the way Blaine whimpered at the words by pulling him closer to his side. "I think you should come stay with me for awhile. I'm sure my dad will be fine with it."

Blaine looked up toward Kurt's face with skepticism written across his features. "That doesn't really sound like something your father would be ' _fine with_ ', Kurt," he said dryly.

A sheepish expression crossed Kurt's face. Even hurt like he was, Blaine could tell when Kurt was placating him. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's forehead. "Yeah, well, he'll get used to it."

Kurt rested his palm Blaine's cheek and gave him an almost genuine smile as Blaine's hand lifted to cover his own. "I love you, Blaine," he whispered honestly.

"I love you, too," Blaine answered. Even if his voice was tinged with sadness, that fact hadn't changed. Blaine was just as sure of his love for Kurt as ever.

His chest ached with longing and hurt singed ever nerve in his body, but he knew that Kurt was there, beautiful and loving as always, and it killed Blaine to know that Kurt was putting up the front for him. He could feel deep in his bones that Kurt was every bit as hurt as he was, was suffering every bit as much as Blaine knew that Sebastian was, but still Kurt forced himself to be there to comfort him.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Kurt's voice, insistent and decided. "Alright, I think we need to get out of here."

Blaine looked around his room and immediately understood the true meaning behind Kurt's words.

_He was here, and now he's not. And everywhere I look, I see him, and we can't stay here without him._

It was true. The doorway, the bed, it was tinged with the memory of Sebastian. Blaine had shifted unconsciously toward the pillow that still smelled like Sebastian's shampoo. The smell was almost enough to let him forget about the crushing emptiness he felt in his chest.  _Almost_.

If he closed his eyes, he could just about pretend that the smell was attached to the boy instead of just an ephemeral reminder of what they had so briefly had. The smell was almost enough, but fell just short enough to serve as a reminder that caused the ache in his chest to flare up with a newfound intensity.

He knew Kurt was right. They had to leave.

Blaine nodded his agreement and let Kurt pull him out of bed, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas before following Kurt, and two suitcases that had apparently been packed while he slept, down the stairs and out the door.

* * *

" _Sebastian, my darling, wake up..."_

Somehow the familiar soft endearments that usually made warmth and comfort settle over Sebastian did nothing to soothe him as he woke up to his grandmother's kind voice and a gentle hand brushing his cheek.

His eyes were sore from crying and his body felt achy and heavy from the exhaustion that sleep had done little to help.

He blinked feverishly as he fully opened his eyes, feeling more than a little disoriented.  _"What time is it?"_ He asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes as he reluctantly sat up.

" _Time for dinner,"_ she said with a motherly smile. Sebastian's eyes widened and he was just about to ask how long he'd been asleep, but his grandmother patted his cheek and kissed his forehead. _"You needed to sleep, so I didn't wake you."_

Sebastian just nodded and scrubbed a hand across his face. His grandmother pressed a kiss to the side of his sleep mussed hair.

" _Now, go wash up, darling. Dinner will be ready when you get finished."_

His room was just as he left it, save for his toiletry bag lying on his bed beside a fresh change of clothes. He briefly contemplated shoving the clothes to the floor and just crawling into the inviting bed just to avoid consciousness as much as possible, but in the end he decided to shower as quickly as possible and pull on the well-worn sweatpants and t-shirt that his grandmother had laid out.

Hurt as he was, he couldn't help but feel cared for as he trudged back to the kitchen to see a large bowl of ice cream sitting at his place on the table. He couldn't help the small smile that touched his face as he sat down.

" _Mamie, what is this?"_ He asked, gesturing down toward the bowl.

" _Your dinner,_ " she said softly, patting the side of his face. She sat down in a chair beside him as he picked up the spoon before brushing the side of his hair with her fingers, tucking a few stray locks of hair behind his ear with a warm smile.  _"Why are you here, love? Why are you not with this boy?"_

She gestured to his wrist and Sebastian sighed deeply, hurt flashing in his sad green eyes.  _"It's not that easy, mamie,"_ he said sadly, shaking his head.  _"I can't explain it-"_

" _Try, Sebastian,"_ she said, her voice soft and kind, but firm in a way that spoke to her years of knowing exactly what her grandson needed.

" _I am not only bound to Kurt, mamie,"_ he started, lifting a hand to drag through his damp hair. His grandmother nodded encouragingly and he continued with a sigh.  _"There are two, mamie, Kurt and Blaine."_

" _Two?"_ The woman sounded shocked, but not the least bit judgmental.  _"Are you sure?"_

Sebastian nodded and let his head fall into his hands until he felt a hand lifting his chin.

" _That still does not explain why you are here instead of with you boys, Sebastian."_

Tears started beading in Sebastian's eyes again so he looked up toward the light, blinking rapidly as he shook his head, trying to will away the tears.

" _Is this about your **pride** , Sebastian?" _She asked quietly, her voice making it clear that she already knew the answer. She scoffed as Sebastian's eyes lifted from her own, guilt making him unable to hold her gaze.  _"Look at me."_

Hands came to frame his face and he met his grandmother's eyes again, silent tears sliding down his cheeks. Her voice was soft when she spoke.  _"Look where your pride has gotten you, Sebastian. You ran away and you are hurting like I have never seen before. Is it really worth it, my love?"_

Sebastian was shaking his head before she finished speaking.  _"Stop. Please. Stop, mamie,"_ he begged brokenly, crying in earnest. His chest burned with the intensity of the longing to be back in Ohio, warm and safe in the arms of his soulmates, but he just... _couldn't_.

" _Sebastian, I cannot tell you what to do. Only you can do that, but I want you to think about what you feel right now, because I know that you know what you need to make the pain stop,"_ the woman whispered, patting Sebastian's cheek.

" _I'm scared, mamie,"_ Sebastian breathed, honesty and vulnerability heavy in his words.

" _Not everyone will hurt you, Sebastian. Sometimes, you must risk letting someone know that you can be hurt in order to get what you need. You have to trust that they will not hurt you,"_ she said softly, brushing the pad of her thumb over the apple of her grandson's cheek to wipe away a tear. _"That is love, my Sebastian. Letting someone close enough to find out your weaknesses, because you know that they will never hurt you."_

Sebastian swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. He couldn't let himself think about his grandmother's words, because he knew that, if he let them sink in, really let himself turn the words over in his mind, he'd know that they were true. The nagging feeling of their truth was already pulling at his consciousness, but he pushed it aside, shrugging as he put a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

They sat in comfortable silence, Sebastian eating his "dinner" and his grandmother watching him with fond, loving eyes. She smiled softly at whatever thought crossed her mind and reached forward to squeeze her grandson's hand.

" _What?"_ Sebastian asked with a small smile.

" _You look more like your mother every time I see you. She would be so proud of the man you have become. It is just so very strange to look at you and know that you've grown into such a handsome young man, but when I see you, you will always be the beautiful little boy who loved to wear my yellow sunhat and help me arrange flowers for the centerpiece,"_ she said softly, squeezing his hand and speaking sincerely.

Sebastian brought his other hand to the table until he was holding his grandmother's hand between both of his own and gave her a small smile of encouragement.

" _She loved you so much, Sebastian. Just as I do. She wanted nothing more than for you to be happy, and I promised her that I would do everything in my power to make that happen. Even though you have your father's foolish pride and pigheadedness, you have grown into an amazing young man, and I am so proud of you. I know_ _Valérie would have been_ _ **so**_ _proud of everything her little Sebastian has become."_

Tears stung in Sebastian's eyes at the mention of his mother. It was his biggest secret that he worried every day whether or not his mother would have been proud of what he'd become. She was his best friend in a lot of ways, so when he'd gotten the phone call from his father on his fourteenth birthday explaining that a drunk driver had t-boned her car going sixty miles per hour, and despite the doctor's best efforts, they'd been unable to save her, it had completely changed him.

She had always been there to support him and pick him up when he fell, to remind him that not everyone in the world was cruel and cold. His mother had always been his soft place to land. She'd understood him in a way that no one else ever could. It had always brought him so much comfort to know that, no matter what he did or how badly he fucked up, his mother would always be there.

Even when he came out officially to his family at fifteen, he never regretted not getting to tell his mother, because he knew that she understood. That she  _knew_.

When he'd been thirteen, he'd saved up all the money he'd collected from the couch cushions and rode his bike to the store by his house to get one of those trashy men's fitness magazine that he wouldn't even think about now, but when he was thirteen he thought the guys were just about the hottest he'd ever seen. He'd come home from school a few weeks later to find his mother putting away his clothes.

He'd swallowed hard and watched as her eyes landed on the magazine. She turned to face him with an amused smile, and he probably could have tried explaining it away if the magazine hadn't been creased open to a very racy picture of a scantily clad man and hidden in his underwear drawer. She'd tossed the last sock in the drawer and shut it easily before picking up the laundry basket and crossing over to where her son stood frozen less than a whole step inside his bedroom.

"He's too muscled for me," she said with a dismissive laugh, wrinkling her delicate nose in distaste even as her green eyes sparkled with affection. She patted his cheek with the same amused smile and kissed his hair, resituating the basket on her hip as she patted Sebastian's face again before leaving.

There was never a doubt in his mind that, even if she hadn't found the magazine and known before he'd been ready to tell anyone, his mother would have accepted and loved him just the same as she always had.

The sureness in his grandmother's voice was enough to remind him that his worries were stupid. His mother would have been proud of him no matter what he did. Even if the ache of longing was still burning in his chest alongside the melancholia of missing his mother, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and knew he'd been in idiot for worrying at all.

" _T-Thank you, mamie,"_ he breathed, his voice thick with the depth of his emotion.

The woman gave him a motherly smile and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead before patting his cheek in a way that always reminded him of his mother.  _"You are welcome, my angel,"_  she said with a smile, sliding the pad of her thumb across the apple of Sebastian's cheek before standing up to take his empty bowl to the sink.

Sebastian excused himself to his bedroom, still exhausted in a way that he was sure sleep would never erase. Even though he'd slept almost half a day, he was able to fall asleep quickly despite the nagging ache in his chest that never seemed to dull.

* * *

The scene was remarkably vivid in a way that Sebastian couldn't ever remember a dream being before.

He was looking down on himself standing at the end of a small driveway that led up to a decent sized house. He was was clearly waiting for something, but Sebastian wasn't sure _what_  until he heard a loud engine approaching, announcing the school bus that was turning the corner and pulling up to a stop at the end of the driveway.

He watched as his face lit up in a look that was nothing short of pure affection, and a little girl came bounding off the bus, her little pink backpack rattling as she immediately dove into his arms with an excited cry of "Daddy!" Her sandy blonde hair was tied up with a blue ribbon that matched the one around the middle of her ruffly white dress. He situated her on his hip and gave a friendly wave to the bus driver before turning his head and addressing the little girl.

"Hey, sweetheart! How was your first day of Kindergarten?" He asked brightly. And Sebastian could see the love burning in his eyes as he listened to the little girl chatter on about her day.

Sebastian wanted to know everything about the little girl in the dream. His  _daughter_  apparently. The thought warmed him to the core. That beautiful little girl staring up at him with bright, excited green eyes was his  _daughter._

They stepped inside the house, and the living room was decorated with warm colors and pictures. Knick-knacks rested on all the flat surfaces, and the smell of food cooking filled the air. This house was definitely a home.

"Blaine just called; he's going to be late tonight he says we should go ahead and eat without him," a soft voice called from the kitchen, sounding closer as he continued with: "I thought I heard a bus. Is Sarah home?"

Kurt stepped into view, a warm smile on his face as he saw the little girl. Sebastian set her on her feet and smiled as he watched her dart across the room to be scooped up by Kurt. He kissed her cheek and squeezed her tightly. "Hi, honey! How was school?"

"It was so much fun, papa!" The little girl— _Sarah_ —enthused. "Miss Tara made me tell everybody who I was..."

Sebastian smiled, crossing the room to kiss Sarah's forehead. "What'd did you tell them, honey?"

"I telled 'em that my name was Sarah Hummel and that I was five and three quarters years old," she said brightly, lifting her chin proudly in a way that made it very clear that she was just as much Kurt's daughter as his own.

Another smile spread across Sebastian's face as he leaned forward and kissed Kurt softly on the lips.

The dream became disjointed after that. Just pictures of a few unrelated moments until there was a flash of the three of them sitting on a couch in an unfamiliar apartment, their faces lit up as though they were celebrating. He could hear the cheerful conversation, little musings punctuated with  _'I still can't believe it.'_

Blaine pulled him close and rested his head against Sebastian's shoulder and there was silence for a few beats before Kurt spoke, squeezing Sebastian's hand and looking him in the eyes.

"You know how we've been having a hard time picking a girl's name?" Kurt asked. Sebastian nodded, his eyes brighter than they'd ever been. Kurt kissed him quickly before he continued. "Well, Blaine and I picked one."

"Oh?" Sebastian asked, amused and interested.

"Yeah. Blaine wanted Sarah after his grandmother, and we already wanted the baby to have my last name."

"So, you want me to pick a name, too? Because you know how bad I am with that-"

"No, babe," Kurt said, his voice soft and careful. "We want her middle name to be Valérie _._ "

* * *

Sebastian woke with a start, squeezing his eyes shut in an unsuccessful attempt to stem the flow of tears that had soaked his pillow. The disjointed, pained rhythm of his heart felt like it was going to fly out of his chest as he once again fought with the overwhelming desire to be  _home_.

There were many things that Sebastian wanted, most of which he wasn't ashamed to admit, were pointless material things. He liked having flashy stuff—the newest version of the iPhone, top of the line computers—but there was nothing that Sebastian wanted more than to one day settle down and have a stable, loving relationship, a comfortable house, and a kid. He'd allowed himself to secretly dream of being the father of a little girl. He knew he'd be happy with whatever his baby turned out to be, but there was that little part of him that wanted to have a daddy's girl.

He wanted  _a Sarah._

The dream was crippling in its intensity. Sebastian curled in on himself and stopped fighting the wave of emotion that crashed over him. The easy familiarity of the three of them in his dream was enough to cause pain to stab deep into his chest. Want and longing washed over him, and the worst part was that he knew that he was the only thing standing in the way of it all. He was in a self-inflicted Hell.

As fresh tears burned in his eyes, he knew that somehow, it had to end. He knew he couldn't fight forever. He was just too tired and it hurt too much. He squeezed his eyes shut again as his mind finally accepted the idea that there was no way he could keep this up any longer. His pride was a lost cause and he couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to go home.

He reached onto the nightstand and grabbed his phone, skimming his contact list until he found the number he wanted. He held the phone to his ear, but when a sleepy voice answered the phone, he couldn't bring himself to speak, a fresh wave of silent tears spilling down his cheeks.

* * *

Blaine reached out for his phone his sleep hazed brain not bothering bothering to check the caller ID before answering.

"Hello?"

There was silence on the other end of the line, and he was just about to hang up before he heard a quiet sob. He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the screen, his eyes widening and filling with tears as he took in the name.

"Sebastian?"

Another hitching sob.

"Sebastian." The word was nothing more than a breath. "Please tell me where you are. Are you okay?"

Blaine received silence in reply, and he continued. "You're not okay, are you? I can feel it, and I hate this, Seb. Please come home. Kurt needs you, and I need you."

Kurt stirred beside him and Blaine glanced down at his boyfriend's sleeping form, hushing his voice as not to wake him. "Please, Sebastian. Kurt's trying to be so strong, but I can see how much it's hurting him. I don't know how to help him, because it hurts so much. I know you feel it, too, so please. Come home."

There was a shuddering breath on the other end of the phone. "Blaine-" The word was a barely audible whine.

"I'm here, sweetheart," Blaine whispered, his heart breaking at the pain in Sebastian's voice. "I'm here, and so is Kurt. We love you, Sebastian."

Blaine could hear when Sebastian started crying in earnest, because his breath hitched and quiet, broken sobs tore out before the phone disconnected. Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and pulled Kurt closer to his side, squeezing him just this side of too tight and dropping a kiss to the top of his hair as he watched him sleep.

* * *

Kurt had finally coaxed Blaine out of bed around lunchtime on Sunday. He'd held Blaine against his side as the TV played in the living room. He'd steal the occasional glace to Blaine's face only to find him staring wistfully out the window. The dark rings under his eyes made him look as though he hadn't slept in weeks, and Kurt couldn't help but squeeze him tighter and wonder what he looked like himself, because he was sure he looked worse than Blaine.

There was an unending pounding in his head from lack of sleep, and his heart ached in a way that made him feel completely hollow. He stared unseeingly at the television and let his mind wander over the logistics of their bind, because there was no other explanation for it. They had to be bound, but Kurt didn't understand it.

He jumped when the front door slammed and Sam came into the room, Rory pulled tight to his side, the Irish boy nosing along the blond's neck and giggling against his ear before nipping at it playfully.

Rory flushed when he saw Kurt and Blaine sitting in the room and nudged Sam until he noticed the pair on the couch. Sam cleared his throat guiltily and spoke. "Hey...I thought you guys were going to stay at Blaine's this weekend? Finn's with Rachel, so I brought Rory home..." Sam trailed off awkwardly.

The Irish boy was gazing up at his boyfriend's face as though it was his own personal miracle, lifting the blond's wrist to his lips to press a soft kiss to where the name  _Rory Flanagan_ was etched into his skin. Sam turned quickly to stare back into Rory's eyes with just as much intensity, a beaming smile stretched across his face.

Blaine's breath hitched and he threw himself off the couch before running up the stairs and slamming Kurt's door.

The bonded pair were confused as their eyes settled on Kurt, his eye squeezed shut and the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers as he fought against the new ache in his chest, feeling hurt and almost jealous because Sam and Rory had found the happiness they were supposed to have, while he and Blaine were broken.

Rory was the first to speak, his accent coming out a bit stronger because of nerves. "You okay, Kurt?"

"Um...not—not really, but thank you, Rory," Kurt replied diplomatically, standing up. "You and Sam go and have fun, okay? Just pretend Blaine and I aren't here."

Kurt started toward the stairs to go check on Blaine. Sam ducked down to kiss his boyfriend's neck. Rory watched Kurt ascend the stairs, his expression one of concern, before letting himself be dragged to Sam's bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

The halls of McKinley High were too loud as Kurt towed Blaine along behind him toward Ms. Pillsbury's office the next day. She was on her feet and opening the door the moment she saw the pair trudging toward her office.

"Oh my gosh, you two look terrible!" She exclaimed softly. "What on Earth's the matter?"

Kurt took Blaine's hand across the small gap between the chairs and squeezed reassuringly in the hope that Blaine would open up and explain. He'd barely spoken since they'd woke up without Sebastian on Saturday morning, and Kurt knew that it couldn't possibly be healthy to keep everything inside.

But Blaine's eyes remained cast miserably to the ground. Kurt lifted their intertwined hands to press a kiss against the back of Blaine's before sliding his thumb across the spot he'd kissed, but Blaine still looked numb even as he gave Kurt's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Ms. Pillsbury," Kurt began quietly, his voice low and sad. "I tried to look on the internet, but I just...couldn't, and we really, really need help right now." Kurt took a deep breath. "Ms. Pillsbury, have you ever heard anything about a three-way binding?"

"There's no such thing as a three-way binding," she said, shaking her head.

"Actually, there is. I'm bound to Blaine, but he's bound to Seb-" Kurt stuttered, unable to say the name. "Someone else."

Finally, concern flickered across Blaine's face and he lifted his eyes to Kurt's, frowning empathetically and squeezing his hand, mouthing "I love you."

Kurt kissed his hand again and scooted his chair closer to wrap his arm around Blaine's shoulders, his only thought was to support his boyfriend. Blaine relaxed a little, so Kurt continued.

"I know it seems unorthodox, but it's true-"

"Kurt," the councilor admonished in her softest voice, her tone gentle. "Honey, I know this may be difficult for you to hear, but that kind of thing just doesn't happen, sweetheart. If Blaine is bound to someone else, then you have to let him go..."

Blaine winced and spoke, his voice defensive and a little loud for the room as he clung to Kurt's arm possessively. "No. You don't understand, Ms. Pillsbury. I love him..."

"No, honey, I understand, but if you're bound to someone else, then it's best to just go be with them instead of keeping Kurt hanging on, because you don't want to hurt him," she said kindly.

Blaine's voice was harsh when he saw the way the woman's words made Kurt's face crumple in pain. "Well, what in the hell does it mean that the person I'm bound to has Kurt's name on his wrist?"

The redhead's eyes flew open. "That's not possible."

"Clearly it is," Blaine hissed back, tugging on Kurt's arm to pull him to his feet. "Thank you, but I can see that you can't help us."

Blaine led Kurt out the door forcefully, unwilling to let him listen to anymore of Ms. Pillsbury's "Just let go..." speech. He turned to Kurt in the hall when they were far enough away from the woman's office.

"Kurt, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" It was a stupid question, because  _of course_  Kurt wasn't okay. Neither of them were okay, but at that moment, helping Kurt took precedence over his own pain. He pulled Kurt into his arms and held him tight.

"B-Blaine...I want to go home," Kurt whimpered against his shoulder. He kissed the taller boy on the forehead and towed him to the parking lot, uncaring of any repercussions that would befall them if they were caught. Kurt wanted to go home, and that's what was going to happen.

* * *

Burt and Carole came back from D.C around dinnertime.

"Where's your brother, Kurt?" Burt asked, shrugging out of his jacket and turning toward where his son sat on the couch threading his fingers through Blaine's hair. His face screwed up in concern as he took in the pure exhaustion on the boys' faces. "Jesus, Kurt. What the hell happened to you two?"

Kurt took a deep breath when he felt Blaine tense up at his side. "S-Sit down, dad," Kurt said tensely.

Burt clamored to comply, his eyes never leaving Kurt or the boy he'd come to care about as a son as he made his way to his recliner, dropping down heavily and leaning forward.

"Dad, I know that this won't make a lot of sense to you—Blaine and I don't understand it, yet—but, you know how I'm bound to Blaine? How his name is on my wrist?" He figured he'd try and break it down as simply as he possibly could. When his father nodded, Kurt continued. "Well, Blaine and I were hoping that there was just some kind of glitch or something and that my name would show up eventually, but that's—that's not going to happen."

"What are you talkin' about, Kurt? Blaine's crazy for you. I mean, I've never heard of anything like that happening, but I'm sure it will for you two-"

"Blaine's bound to someone else," Kurt stated, his voice flat before continuing in an even voice. "And the person Blaine's bound to has my name on his wrist."

"Mr. Hummel," Blaine cut in, his voice soft and calm in a way that Kurt knew was to comfort  _him_. "I love Kurt just as much as I always have. From the day I met him, I knew that I loved him—even if I wasn't smart enough to understand it yet. And you have to understand that I would never do anything to hurt him..."

Burt looked lost, his expression confused. He could see the way the conversation was affecting his kid, but he didn't know how to help. He'd been bound to Liz since high school, and when she died it had been devastating, but in time he'd been able to rebind to Carole.

But the look on Kurt and Blaine's faces was enough to break his heart. They didn't just look sad, they looked damn near exhausted.

Kurt was leaning into Blaine's side as though he was the only thing holding him upright, and Burt stopped to think that maybe he was. Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's body and pulled him closer as Kurt took a shuddering breath and let himself be pulled into the other boy's side. Blaine's face was screwed up in worry, and he kissed the top of Kurt's head and brushed the hair away from his pale forehead before he continued.

"Sir, we don't know how it happened—or why—but even though I'm not marked with Kurt's name, I'm still very much bound to him. And so is Sebastian."

"That's this other kid's name?" Burt asked gruffly, trying to understand.

Kurt steadied himself and spoke. "Yeah, dad."

"So, you're bound to him  _and_ Blaine?" Kurt nodded. "But you don't have his name."

Burt lifted his baseball hat to scratch his head, doing his best to make some sense of the situation. To try and offer any help to the two obviously confused boys on his couch but coming up short. He figured that Kurt would have made sure before talking to him, so he trusted his son when he said that the three of them were bound.

He pulled in a deep breath through his nose before letting it out in a huff. "So, where is this Sebastian?"

He realized immediately that he'd asked the wrong question. Hurt flashed across both boys' faces before each one stole a glance to the other, trying to secretly assess the damage the words had caused without getting caught looking.

"We can't be sure, but we think he's probably in France..." Kurt trailed off when his father's eyes popped wide.

"France? What the hell is he doing in France?" Burt asked, astonished.

Blaine winced at the man's tone but stiffened his back and saved Kurt the pain of explaining, figuring it was best to get it all out in the open anyway. Neither one was really strong enough to keep up a lie anyway. "After the play ended on Friday night, Kurt was going to come back to my house, because neither of us like sleeping in an empty house..."

Burt's eyes narrowed, and Blaine realized belatedly that Burt had been unaware that his house was going to be empty at all. Finn and Sam had been grounded after Burt had caught them both sneaking out. Blaine continued anyway.

"Anyway, we were getting ready to go, and Puck came up to us and needed us to babysit Beth, so we agreed. I went to go get her stuff from Puck's truck and told Kurt I'd meet him at the car. Kurt won't tell me what happened, but when he finally made it to the car, he had Sebastian with him, and Sebastian had a really bad black eye, so he couldn't drive. Kurt and I had felt the bind for a while, but we didn't talk about it, and we didn't know that Sebastian had been feeling it too until we found Kurt's name on his wrist," Blaine said in a rush.

The older man nodded knowingly as though he knew what came next, trying his best to keep his expression neutral, but his eyes were grudgingly resigned. "So you consummated the bind?"

"I-I don't know," Blaine sighed, casting his eyes to his feet. "I don't understand. We didn't even have  _sex_." Burt winced, but Blaine seemed beyond noticing. "We just  _slept_..."

Finally, Burt felt as though he could offer some help. "Well,  _sleeping_  together is a pretty intimate thing. It's letting someone see you at your most vulnerable. Hell, I never feel closer to Carole than when we're sleeping and I got my arms around her. There's just something about knowing that someone else is  _there._  Now, I ain't stupid. You think I don't know about the times that either Kurt's snuck out to see you or he's snuck you in here?"

Kurt's voice was dreamy and distant when he spoke, as though he was deep in thought over his father's words. "I snuck him in, because there's nothing better than falling asleep next to him. Knowing that he'll be there when I open my eyes, holding me. It's when I feel the safest." A tear slid down Kurt's face. "That's how it felt with Sebastian, too."

Blaine nodded beside him, his expression somber, and reached down to take Kurt's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.

"So then why isn't he here?" Burt asked, worrying just a bit for the boy he didn't know, because if Kurt and Blaine were this tore up  _together_ , he couldn't imagine what this kid felt being alone.

"He was scared," Kurt breathed in the same far away voice, turning to face Blaine as though he'd figured it all out. "Blaine, that's why he was scared. Think about it. He didn't exactly seem used to letting people really  _know_  him. He let his guard down with us and then got freaked out."

Blaine's hand lifted to cover his mouth. "Oh my God, Kurt. I didn't even—I didn't even think about that. I just thought that...Well, I'm not sure  _what_ I thought, but you're right."

Burt broke into the conversation. "So, this kid just  _left_? He's bound to both of you, but he just  _left_?"

The man remembered the week he had to leave Carole behind in Lima while he went to D.C. He could barely sleep for missing her, and he knew she'd be waiting for him when he got home, knew he could call her whenever he wanted. Kurt and Blaine didn't have that luxury. From the sound of it, that Sebastian kid had just took off.

"I've been around a lotta years, guys, and I ain't  _never_  heard of nothin' like this, but if you say it's true, then I believe ya. You both look like hell, and I'm sure that Sebastian kid doesn't look much better. If he's bound to you boys, there's no way he's gonna be able to stay away for much longer," Burt offered as reassurance. He was surprised the kid had been able to stay away at all.

"T-Thanks, dad," Kurt said softly, his voice filled with enough pain to break Burt's heart. "I know that it's against the rules, dad, but do you think that Blaine could stay here for awhile? I just—I don't want to be alone."

Burt was nodding his agreement before Kurt had finished talking. "Sure, buddy."

He'd never seen his boy look so hurt, so he was willing to do anything in his power to make him feel better. Burt heaved himself out of his chair, ready to leave the emotionally charged atmosphere in favor of stealing some food from the kitchen, stopping by the side of the couch as he realized he should ask about how the kid's parents felt.

"As long as your parents are alright with it..." Burt added belatedly.

"Well, I've been here for two days and they haven't noticed I'm gone yet, so I'm sure it's fine," Blaine said, shrugging as though it didn't matter.

Burt clapped a hand on Blaine's shoulder and shook his head sadly. "They don't treat you as good as they should, Blaine. You're a damn good kid."

"Thank you, sir. It means so much to hear that coming from you," Blaine answered honestly, looking up toward the man's face with bright eyes. "You've been more of a father to me than my own dad."

Kurt's breath stuttered out, emotion making his heart swell to hear the words coming from his boyfriend's mouth.

"Yeah, well, you're like a son to me, so I'm glad to hear you say that, kid." Burt smiled toward Blaine and clapped his shoulder again before leaving the room.

* * *

Dinner passed quickly, neither Kurt nor Blaine eating much. Finn had strolled in just in time to be grounded for being gone all weekend, and the mood over the table sunk very quickly after that. With his headache, Kurt wasn't able to tolerate much of his father's gruff reprimanding, so he excused himself and Blaine from the table and dragged him upstairs.

Blaine dropped down on the bed and sighed, sitting with his legs criss-crossed. "Come here." He reached out toward Kurt and took his hand to guide him onto the bed.

"Kurt, last night, while you were asleep, Sebastian called..." Kurt pulled in a shocked breath. "I-I wasn't going to say anything, because well  _he_  didn't actually say anything, but if it had been you that answered the phone, I would have wanted you to tell me."

Kurt was frozen and Blaine saw his adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly. "S-So he just called and didn't say anything at all?" Kurt asked, his voice brokenly trying to stay even.

"No, I just talked  _to_  him, and, God, Kurt-" Blaine's face screwed up in pain at the memory of the hitching sobs he'd heard on the phone. "He was crying, Kurt, and he said my name, and all I wanted to do was help him, but I couldn't because he's-"

"Shh, sweetheart," Kurt soothed, pulling Blaine into his arms and shifting them both until they were lying across the bed. "Come here."

He pulled Blaine tighter against his side, glad all at once that he hadn't changed out of his pajamas that day, because he just wanted Blaine to sleep, and pulled the covers up over them both, relaxing as he felt Blaine nuzzle into the crook of his shoulder. "He'll come home, Blaine. I promise."

Kurt immediately felt the weight of his words as he spoke them. He felt sure of them in a way he hadn't before and briefly wondered to himself what that meant before quickly squashing down any hopefulness he might have felt, unable to bear having his hopes dashed again when he woke up the next morning to find that Sebastian still wasn't there.

Blaine shifted against his side and whimpered quietly.

"Sleep, honey. I'm here. I've got you, okay?" Kurt said softly, resting a hand on the back of Blaine's curls to hold the smaller boy's head against his chest.

* * *

Blaine finally fell asleep around two. It was little moments like feeling the comfort that Blaine got from clinging onto him as though he'd disappear if Blaine let go, that made Kurt amazingly thankful that his father had been understanding about the whole situation. He couldn't imagine Blaine lying in his bed, which he always complained was too big, alone, crying, and heartbroken. The thought was painful.

The truth of the matter was, Blaine probably  _was_  afraid that Kurt would disappear if he let go. Sebastian had.

Kurt carefully untangled himself from Blaine and climbed out of bed, brushing away a stray curl and dropping a kiss to his forehead before leaving the room. He needed time to think away from Blaine, needed time to cry and be miserable on his own without Blaine feeling obligated to comfort him.

He went downstairs and made himself a cup of tea, settling down onto the couch and staring off as he lost himself in thought. He was sure he dozed off a few times, because the next time he remembered reaching for his tea, it was almost ice cold. He pushed it further back on the coffee table and let his body fall against the back of the couch.

The clock struck three, but the chiming from the clock was drown out by a timid knocking on the door. The sound was sluggish and quiet, but it was enough to send Kurt's heart into his throat. He crossed the room to look out the small window on top of the door, his heart kicking into double-time when he immediately recognized the figure on the other side.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

Kurt's fingers fumbled with the chain as he slid it free and wrenched the door open. Tears beaded in his eyes as he took in the sight of Sebastian, his hair unkempt and his clothes looking as though he'd slept in them. His eyes were dull and swimming with tears and sadness. Kurt instinctively reached forward and slid his thumb across the dark, black circles under Sebastian's eyes. His heart broke a little at the desperate way the taller boy leaned into the small touch.

"Sebastian..." Kurt started, wanting to ask a million questions, but he couldn't makehis voice work so he just stared at the broken remains of the cocky, smug boy that he and Blaine had fallen in love with.

None of that bravado could be found anywhere on this new Sebastian. It had all been replaced with pain and sadness. As badly as he and Blaine had hurt— _still hurt_ —after Sebastian had left, he had a strong feeling that it was  _nothing_ compared to the absolute hell that Sebastian had been through.

Kurt wanted to speak, but Sebastian was shaking his head slowly, tears streaking down his cheeks. He spoke slowly, the sound barely able to be heard through tears.

"I tried. I tried  _so_  hard to fight this. To pretend that it wasn't real." He lifted up his wrist, Kurt's name still clearly visible. "But, I'd look down and my chest would start to hurt like I couldn't breathe. I tried to fight it, but I—I can't fight anymore. I don't want to. I'm just too tired."

Kurt wrapped his arms around Sebastian, shushing him as he pulled him over the threshold and into the house. His voice was no higher than a whisper. "It's okay, honey. I've got you."

"Y-You should hate me. You  _both_ should hate me for what I did, I-"

"Shh...Sebastian, no one hates you. Come on. Blaine's upstairs. He needs you."

Kurt towed Sebastian up the stairs and stopped just inside his room to pull Sebastian's shirt over his shoulders, Sebastian working at the button of his own jeans. "You need to sleep, Sebastian. We'll talk about all this in the morning."

Sebastian nodded woodenly, his eyes locked on Blaine's sleeping form. He turned toward Kurt and threw his arms around his slender body, pulling him flush against his front and burying his head in the crook of Kurt's neck, breathing in deeply and letting the smell of cologne and shampoo and  _Kurt_ bring him the only comfort he'd had in days, breathing out the word "God" in a shaky exhale as he pulled Kurt closer, an amazing feeling of relief washing over him at Kurt's touch. "I missed you so much..." he mumbled against Kurt's neck, sighing softly as he felt the boy's fingers threading through his hair.

"I missed you, too, Sebastian. I love you."

Sebastian didn't miss a beat before pressing a kiss against Kurt's neck, fresh tears falling from his eyes. "I love you, too."

Kurt shifted slightly by his side, turning his head to press a kiss to the taller boy's shoulder. "I know you feel guilty, but you don't have to. You needed time, Sebastian. Blaine and I understood that."

"I hurt you," Sebastian whispered, rough and sad. "I hurt you both and I'm so sorry. I was selfish and stupid and-"

"Sebastian, stop," Kurt cut off softly, lifting his hands to frame Sebastian's face. "You hurt  _yourself,_ too. You think Blaine and I couldn't feel your pain every bit as much as I know you felt ours? You were scared and confused and angry, but you're not now. I can feel that, too." Kurt lifted his hand to rest over Sebastian's heart. "It's okay now. You're here, and you're not gonna try and leave again or else I'll grab you by your ankles and drag your bubble butt back where you belong."

Sebastian laughed in spite of himself and kissed Kurt on the lips, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing him, soft and sweet, until they both pulled away smiling, hearts feeling warm and full and happy. "I love you, and I love Blaine, and I—I'm sorry that I left. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I actually don't think I  _can_  leave. It hurts to think about. This-" He pulled Kurt closer and kissed him sweetly on the lips. " _This_  is where I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to be here with you and Blaine. And I'm so sorry that I didn't accept that sooner, but I'm here now. And I'm never leaving again."

Kurt kissed him again, a bit more lingering than before and stroked his face with the tips of his fingers. "You're home now, Seb. You're with Blaine and I, where you belong. It doesn't matter how we got here, because we're together  _now_ , okay?"

"Okay." His voice was hushed and breathless, and Kurt could see that his eyes were suspiciously bright, and a slow smile spread across Sebastian's face as he nodded. He rocked forward on his toes and kissed Kurt again quickly just because he could, delighting in the smile that lit up his delicate face. "Oh, and Kurt?"

"What?" Kurt asked, amused.

"I do  _not_  have a bubble butt," Sebastian said, his voice trying for affronted but failing miserably as a small fit of giggles bubbled out.

"Yeah you do, but it's okay. It's cute just like the rest of you," Kurt said with a smile.

Sebastian pulled Kurt against his chest just to wrap his arms around him and hold him close. Finally, the taller boy's eyes drifted away and Kurt followed Sebastian's gaze to where he was staring at Blaine, studying the small figure under the blankets, his eyes affectionate and soft.

They stood in silence for a long moment just watching Blaine sleep before Kurt smiled softly and took Sebastian's hand, leading him to the bed. Sebastian swallowed thickly against the lump in his throat and settled under the covers, hesitantly pulling Blaine into his arms as Kurt slid into Blaine's other side.

Warmth flooded through Kurt as he saw the way Blaine's small body melted into Sebastian's larger one, nestling unconsciously deeper into Sebastian's strong arms. Blaine looked absolutely tiny lying next to Sebastian, but it felt perfect to see Sebastian giving Blaine comfort and security.

Kurt tilted his head up and pressed a kiss to Sebastian's jaw as he moved in closer, pressing himself flush against Blaine's side and barely noticing when the younger boy's eyes fluttered open. There were tears in his shocked voice when he spoke.

"S-Sebastian?"

He sounded terrified. Almost as if this was another dream and saying his soulmate's name too loudly would make him disappear again.

Sebastian dropped a kiss to Blaine's forehead, wrapping his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders and pulling him closer until his head was pillowed on Sebastian's chest. "Shh...yeah, it's me. Just go back to sleep, Blaine. We'll talk in the morning."

Blaine's voice was tiny and scared. "Will you still be here?"

Pain shot through Sebastian's chest at the words. He felt his heart break at the fear in Blaine's voice. He brushed a stray curl from the boy's forehead and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere." He kissed Blaine's forehead again and pulled him impossibly tighter. "I'm here for good this time. I promise. You can sleep."

He felt Blaine relax immediately, tilting his head to press a sleepy kiss to Sebastian's lips. "Love you, Seb."

Blaine's sleepy mumble made warmth spread through Sebastian's body, and he leaned down to kiss Blaine on the lips. "I love you, too, Blaine."

Kurt draped his arm over Blaine's side, his flat palm resting on Sebastian's chest as they both sandwiched Blaine. Kurt pressed a kiss to the top of Blaine's head before craning across him to kiss Sebastian on the lips. "Night, Seb."

Sebastian mumbled back a goodnight, unable to really think about words when his body felt content in a way he'd never felt before. He felt  _sleepy_  for the first time in a week. He didn't feel hopeless exhaustion pressing down on him anymore. He felt weightless and happy and gloriously sleepy, so he closed his eyes and let himself sleep, safe in the arms of his soulmates, where he belonged.

* * *

A high pitched droning pulled Sebastian from sleep. He blindly threw his arm out toward the nightstand in an attempt to silence the annoying sound that had woke him before giving in and opening his eyes. He grabbed the phone that was making the noise and silenced it. Even though he knew that Kurt and Blaine would have to wake up to go to school soon, he wasn't quite ready to let it happen just yet.

He set the phone back on the table and shifted closer into Blaine's back, kissing his head before brushing a hand through Kurt's sleep mussed hair. Blaine sighed in his sleep and settled languidly into Sebastian's arms.

Watching Blaine sleep, so small and beautiful, Sebastian couldn't understand how he had ever planned to take advantage of him. How could he have been so stupid as to think of Blaine as nothing more than a conquest? He had every plan to use the fact that Blaine was bound to him to his full advantage, not knowing or caring how much Blaine would be hurt in the process.

He knew now, firsthand, the level of trust involved in a bind. Blaine would have trusted him no matter what. The conquest would have been easy. He would have abused Blaine's trust and not thought twice about it. Hell, he did it everyday to one person or another. Using people's misplaced trust had become second nature.

If it had been any other situation, Blaine would have gone home and cried, because he'd cheated on Kurt. Kurt would have found out and been devastated. And Sebastian would have gone on with life as usual. But the situation  _wasn't_  any other situation. He would have hurt  _Blaine_  and  _Kurt. His_  Blaine and Kurt.

As Sebastian turned his previous plan around in his mind, he felt almost sick at his own callousness. Yes, taking Blaine would have been a simple task, but it would have been easy for all the wrong reasons. It would have been easy, because Blaine would have been opening himself up to someone he was already in love with, someone who he thought loved him back. Blaine who is pure and good and kind would have fallen victim to someone who just wanted to get laid.

Suddenly, that thought hurt Sebastian so much more than it ever had. Because he understood now. He knew Blaine, and he knew Kurt, and he knew just how much it would have hurt them, and the thought of hurting either boy ever again was enough to send a pain deep into his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head to dismiss the thought. It didn't happen. He hadn't seen his intentions through, and now he never would, because the thought of hurting either boy was unbearable.

Blaine was so much more than the bashful schoolboy type that Sebastian had first set eyes on. He was smart and caring and too sensitive for his own damn good. And now, Sebastian would do anything and everything in his power to keep Blaine from falling victim to his own naïvete again. He'd keep Blaine safe.

He pressed a kiss to the back of the smaller boy's neck as a silent promise, tightening his arm around Blaine's middle and letting his splayed fingers slide in small, patternless motions across his belly.

"Mmm...feels good, Seb," Blaine mumbled sleepily.

"Hey, sweetheart, I didn't know you were awake..." Sebastian kept his voice quiet and pressed a kiss right behind Blaine's ear.

"Just woke up.  _Whatimesit_?" Blaine slurred as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Just after seven. Do you guys have to get up now?" Sebastian asked, hoping that Blaine would say no and fall back to sleep.

"Yeah..."Blaine drawled as he stretched and rubbed again at his eyes, sitting up slowly and doing his best to disentangle himself from Kurt. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Kurt's cheek before turning and brushing his lips against Sebastian's. "I wish we didn't though. I've never slept so well in my life."

He kissed Sebastian again a bit more fully and climbed over him to get up. He made his way toward the door, calling back quietly, "You get to wake Kurt up. Good luck." Blaine laughed lightly and padded out of the room.

Despite Blaine's words, Sebastian had absolutely no intention of waking Kurt. He looked so beautiful and relaxed as he slept that Sebastian couldn't bring himself to wake him. He just crossed the small space left behind in Blaine's absence and pulled Kurt gently against his side, smiling as Kurt shifted unconsciously closer. He dropped a kiss to Kurt's forehead and let his thumb slide across the boy's cheek.

Waiting for Blaine to come back, Sebastian watched Kurt sleep, warmth settling in deep as he tried to commit every last thing to memory. The way his chest rose and fell with each deep breath, the way sleep made him look years younger, how his hair stuck to his forehead messily in a way Sebastian found more beautiful than when Kurt would take an hour to neatly style it.

He felt Blaine climb back into bed, shifting until he was pressed flush against Sebastian's back and dropping a soft kiss to his shoulder before resting his head there and speaking softly. "He's beautiful, isn't he?"

"Amazing," Sebastian breathed, lifting his hand to very softly sweep through Kurt's hair. "My mom used to tell me that it didn't matter who I loved, just as long as I loved them with 'my whole heart'."

Blaine hummed out an agreement before kissing the side of Sebastian's neck sweetly.

"I never really knew what she meant. But being here now, I get it. I finally know what she meant by 'love someone with your whole heart', because it's the only way I could ever explain how I feel about you and Kurt. I just never really thought it was possible to feel like this, but..." The words were hushed and reverent, and Sebastian slid his hand from Kurt's hair to hold it against his cheek. "I get it now."

Sebastian felt Blaine's lips turn up into a smile against his neck before they were a soft pressure against his skin. "I love you, Seb. Thank you for coming back to us."

"I love you, too, Blaine," Sebastian replied softly, turning his head to press a soft kiss to the smaller boy's full lips. "I'm so glad I came home."

Blaine's eyes brightened at the words and he kissed Sebastian again, lifting a hand to rest on his cheek. " _This_  is where you belong, Seb." He kissed the taller boy's forehead, making him wrinkle his nose fondly. "Right here with us. I've got to go take a shower. Make sure that Kurt is actually out of bed before you leave him or else he'll fall right back to sleep. Believe me," Blaine laughed happily, kissing Sebastian fully on the lips with an undignified  _smack_  before rolling out of bed, leaving Sebastian feeling completely giddy, stupid, and lovestruck.

He rolled over and just let himself watch Kurt sleep for just a bit longer before reaching out and touching the side of his face that wasn't nestled into the pillow. His cheek was sleep-warm beneath Sebastian's fingertips. "Hey, Kurt, wake up."

Kurt stirred discontentedly and burrowed further under the comforter, and Sebastian laughed aloud at the childishness of it all. "Kurt, come on, sweetheart, you've got to get up." He shook at the sleeping boy's shoulder lightly and dropped a kiss to his forehead because he couldn't help it. "You know, I'm not sure I can date someone who can sleep while there's a gorgeous guy naked in the shower less than fifty feet away."

Kurt's eyes fluttered open at that. "Mmm...what?" He mumbled sleepily, dazed for a moment before his eyes landed on Sebastian's face, and a sleepy smile turned up the corner of his lips. Kurt propped himself up on his elbow and stared into Sebastian's eyes, his smile growing as he saw the complete adoration on Sebastian's face. "What's this about a gorgeous naked guy?" Kurt asked teasingly.

Sebastian laughed aloud and kissed Kurt softly on the lips. "Blaine's in the shower. I figured that'd wake you up though. That'd get  _me_  moving."

"Seb," Kurt laughed, shaking his head as he stretched forward to kiss the other boy. His expression sobered a bit as he lifted his hand to rest warmly on Sebastian's cheek. "I'm so glad you're here, Seb."

"Me too," Sebastian whispered seriously. "I shouldn't have left at all. I knew I was making the biggest mistake of my life, but I did it anyway, and I'm so  _so_  sorry that I hurt you both."

"Shh..." Kurt kissed him fully on the lips. "Don't. Like I said last night: You're here now. That's what matters, okay?"

Sebastian nodded and let himself be kissed, let himself melt against sleep-warm pink lips.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine had ended up being much later than they'd originally planned, but neither of them could bring themselves to regret the few (or maybe not so few) extra minutes spent lounging on Kurt's bed— _This damn thing is way too small for the three of us, Kurt. I was twisted in a knot last night.—_ lounging and kissing lazily until they absolutely, positively  _had_  to leave.

Blaine shrugged into his jacket and was wrapping his scarf around his neck. "What are you going to do today, Seb? Aren't you going to school?"

Sebastian helped Blaine with his scarf and kissed him on the forehead. "Not today, killer. I've got a few things to take care of first. I'll be here when you get back, okay?"

Blaine nodded and lifted himself to his tiptoes to kiss Sebastian fully on the lips just as Kurt came in.

"Alright, Seb, Blaine and I have to go to school. We're going to stop by the library on the way home to see what we can find about our bind, so we'll be a little late getting home..."

"That's fine, I've got stuff to do today, so there's no rush. Though I don't know why it matters to find out about  _us_. I mean...we pretty much know all the important stuff," Sebastian said, shrugging as though it didn't matter. To him, it didn't. He was just bound to Kurt and Blaine, and that was as much as he really needed to know. He'd never been one to nitpick details.

"I'd still like to know," Kurt replied, resting a hand on Sebastian's bicep and leaning into a kiss.

Sebastian's lips turned up into a smile against Kurt's. Kurt must have felt it, because he kissed back playfully before pulling away with a quiet  _mwah_. "Okay. Now we've  _really_  gotta go. There's food downstairs, Seb. Just help yourself. Blaine and I will be back later."

"'Kay. Have a good day at school, boys," Sebastian teased. Kurt rolled his eyes, but a wide, goofy smile spread across Blaine's face.

He heard the front door slam and the quiet sound of a car departing outside before he moved. He sighed contentedly as he realized that he wasn't worried anymore. Trusting Kurt and Blaine felt as natural as breathing, and he felt stupid for ever being afraid in the first place. The knowledge was deep and instinctual; Kurt and Blaine would  _never_  hurt him.

The weight had lifted from his shoulders and left him feeling free in a way that was as amazing as it was liberating.

Moving over to Kurt's dresser, he hoped to god that he had a plain pair of sweatpants that weren't bedazzled. Luckily he found a pair and pulled them on, figuring even though he was pretty sure the house was empty, going downstairs in just his underwear probably wasn't the best choice.

He made his way downstairs quickly, deciding to grab something to eat before he took a shower and left for the day. He was halfway through buttering a piece of toast when a gruff voice startled him so badly that the knife in his hands clattered to the counter.

"So, you're Sebastian, huh?"

He spun around to see a burly man in a baseball cap and coveralls standing in the doorway. Sebastian swallowed thickly and nodded, for the first time in his life, not trusting his voice not to squeak.

The man pulled out one of the dining room chairs and sat down, pushing out the chair beside him with his foot and gesturing toward it. "Come and sit down, kid. I think it's time me and you had a talk."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

Sebastian sat down awkwardly, his toast forgotten on the counter.

"Relax, kid. I'm not gonna bite ya," the man said, gesturing toward the chair for Sebastian to take before folding his hands on the table. "I just wanna talk to ya for a minute. First off, let me see your wrist."

Sebastian kept wary eyes glued to the man's face as he sat down and slowly lifted his arm, flipping it over to expose the name on his wrist, resting it face up on the wooden table. The action was met by a knowing hum of acknowledgment that did nothing to settle Sebastian's nerves.

"Mr. Hummel-"

"Burt," the man interrupted.

Sebastian nodded his acknowledgment and continued, pulling his arm back into his own space, "I know that you must not think very much of me, but-"

Burt raised his hand to stop Sebastian's words, "I don't like what you did, but I get it. You freaked out and took off. I can see where somethin' like this would be hard to handle," he placated. Sebastian relaxed slightly in his chair at the display of understanding. "but you're not leavin' again?" Burt asked, the words just a bit threatening in a way that spoke to his dedication to protecting his family.

Sebastian was acutely grateful that Kurt had a father like Burt, and he found himself offering up more truth than he'd planned. "No, sir." He shook his head before casting his eyes toward the table and watching his thumbnail pick at his cuticle. "I shouldn't have left at all."

"Alright then. That's over," Burt said easily, bringing his hand down on the table in a show of finality before asking, "You got a place to stay?"

"No, sir," Sebastian answered, once again offering up more than he'd intended, "my father told me that if I left, I couldn't come back, and I left anyway. I was going to go get my stuff today. I was thinking I could get an apartment-"

"Nah, you're gonna stay here," Burt said as a matter-of-fact before his tone turned into something lighter and a goofy, teasing smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "I'm kind of on a roll pickin' up stray kids around here. Wouldn't wanna break my streak."

The man stood up from his chair and made to leave, clearly ready to escape any sort of tension, but Sebastian found himself calling out to make him turn. "Mr. Hummel," he prompted, lifting his head as he heard heavy work boots turning on the linoleum.

"I told ya kid, just call me  _Burt_." There was only fond irritation behind the words and Sebastian nodded again, suddenly feeling much younger than he was.

"I love your son, Burt." He straightened in his chair and squared his shoulders as he turned to fully face the man in the doorway. " _A-And_  Blaine," he was quick to add, continuing when he was spurred on by Burt crossing his arms and looking on with warm eyes. "I know we didn't start off so well, because I'm a complete jackass, but that doesn't change the fact that I  _do_  love them. I'm here now," He heard himself echo Kurt's words and smiled privately at the flush of warmth he felt. "and I'm not leaving again."

He stood up and crossed to stand in front of Burt, straightening himself out and trying to look as dignified as he could while still wearing pajamas and sleep-mussed hair. "I  _will_  take care of Blaine and your son, sir. I promise. I won't hurt them again." He stuck out his arm formally and continued when Burt shook his hand, "I'm not sure how much Kurt told you, but I'd like to do this right, so," He shook Burt's hand firmly. "My name's Sebastian Smythe."

Burt returned the handshake with a fond smile. "Smythe, huh? That don't sound very French to me."

Sebastian's brow knitted in confusion. "E-Excuse me?" he asked before the words registered. "Oh, no, that's my father's last name. My mother was born and raised in Paris."

"That where you went?" Burt asked, leaning against the doorjamb. "To stay with your mother?"

"No, sir. My mother is dead. I went to stay with my grandmother."

"I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" Burt asked sympathetically.

"It was a car accident. Drunk driver," Sebastian offered, his voice flat and unthinking. He'd told the story a million times. It was always easiest to try and just detach. He stared at his feet as he added,"I was fourteen."

"Kurt lost his mom when he was eight," Burt said. Sebastian looked up to meet the man's gaze, sadness panging in his stomach at the thought of Kurt losing someone he loved. It was a pain that he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.

"I didn't know that—Kurt never told me..." He wasn't sure what the end to the sentence was so he let it drop.

"Yeah. We lost her to cancer. Poor kid tried to be strong, but I heard him crying, and  _god—_ broke my heart. She understood Kurt in a way I'll never get. Lotta the time I just feel like I'm treading water with him, and it's been easier since Carole moved in, but still, there are times when I just feel like I'll never have any idea what's in that boy's head..."

Sebastian huffed out a laugh. "I don't think anyone will ever understand what's going on in Kurt's head until the exact second he wants them to know."

Burt smiled sadly and shook his head. "Kid's got a heart that's too big for his own damn good."

"-so does Blaine," Sebastian added, feeling a fresh surge of determination come over him. "but I don't."

Burt eyed him quizzically before realization dawned on his face and he nodded once pointedly. "Those boys need someone who won't let anyone mess with them. I always taught Kurt not to let anyone push him around, and he's  _so_  strong, but-"

"No one should be giving him any trouble in the first place," Sebastian bit out. "so I won't let them. Kurt's one of a kind, and so is Blaine, and they don't deserve to be pushed around." He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he'd do whatever it took to keep Kurt and Blaine happy and safe. He wanted Burt to rest assured with that knowledge as well. A wry smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry, Burt. I'm a heartless bastard, so I won't let anyone get away with hurting either one of them."

"I like you, kid," Burt said with a smile, clapping a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too, Burt. There's no place else I'd rather be."

* * *

After a night of trying to sleep three people to a double bed, Sebastian had firmly decided that it wasn't an experience he wanted to repeat. Blaine had a tendency to sprawl and had managed to shove Sebastian over toward Kurt's side until poor Kurt was barely on the mattress at all.

Sebastian pushed his sunglasses up into his hair as he stepped inside the showroom, his eyes immediately scanning the elaborately designed mock bedrooms, rolling his eyes at the cheesy fake décor.

He crossed into the less showy part of the building that just housed mattresses and dragged his hand across the tops of the beds as he walked. They all looked the same. Why did there have to be so many to pick from? Did it really matter? He stopped next to a king sized mattress, sitting down on the plush bed and pressing his hand into the mattress.

"Hi, I'm Joe," an overly chipper man introduced, holding his hand out for Sebastian to shake. He took it idly. "What can I help you with?"

Sebastian stood up and straightened his jacket. "I'll take this one," he gestured to the bed, watching as the man's face lit up, clearly calculating his commission.

"It's top of the line," the man enthused, way more excited than anyone should ever be about mattresses.

"Yeah," Sebastian said absently, "I need a  _bed_ , too." The man scribbled on a clipboard as Sebastian continued, "and uh, I think that oak one would go best with the room." He pointed toward one of the display beds and the man nodded. "You guys take debit cards, right?"

"Yes, sir."

He scratched Kurt's address on a slip of paper as he paid, checking his watch. "Here's the address." He handed the piece of paper to the salesman and reached back again for his wallet, pulling out a couple folded bills and pressing them into the man's hand. "And that's going to be delivered today  _before_ three, right?"

The man smiled wryly, closing his hand around the bills and pocketing them. "Of course, sir."

* * *

Blaine came in the door first, bounding over to Sebastian and dropping down beside him on the couch. Sebastian set aside his book and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, kissing him quickly on the lips. "Hey, killer," he said softly. "how was school?"

Kurt kissed Sebastian as he breezed by, heading upstairs to drop his bag.

"It was boring. We got to play flag football in gym though," Blaine said, his voice bright.

"Didn't take you for a football kinda guy," Sebastian teased, kissing Blaine's upturned lips.

Blaine's smile widened as he opened his mouth to speak, but the words were cut off by a dull thump of a bookbag hitting the floor and a cry of " _Jesus Christ, Sebastian!"_  coming from upstairs.

Oh yeah, he probably should have mentioned something sooner. "Hey, Kurt!" Sebastian called back, fighting not to laugh. "I forgot to tell you. I bought a bed."

* * *

After the initial shock wore off and the explanation of "I was just being practical." was hashed out ad nauseam Kurt had smiled and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's waist with a quiet, "I'm sure I don't want to know how much this cost, but thank you."

Less than an hour later, they were all three spread out across the bed—Blaine doing homework, Sebastian reading his much abused copy of  _Nineteen Eighty-Four_ , and Kurt pouring tirelessly over the book he and Blaine had found at the library on their quest to understand their bond.

Blaine looked up from his homework. "Find anything yet, Kurt?"

"No...not yet," Kurt's voice came back slowly and he flipped another page. "Wait," he prompted, sitting up. "I think I found it."

Sebastian looked up from his book.

"It's called a-" Kurt's brow furrowed as he continued slowly, enunciating. "Polyamorous Triadic Bond."

Sebastian wrinkled his nose. "Jesus, it sounds like some godawful Chemistry term."

Kurt smacked at Sebastian's arm to shush him and continued, sliding his finger under the words as he read them. "'Sometimes, in very rare instances, one in every'— _oh my god_ -" He eyes widened and he broke off before shaking his head and reading on. "'one in every  _fifty million_  bindings, there will be a mismatched pairing in which there are three soulmates.'"

Blaine's eyes flickered, warm and thoughtful, between Kurt and Sebastian. "So, we—we really  _are_  soulmates? It's not just some weird fluke?"

Kurt scanned the page, a crooked smile lifting the corner of his lips. "That's what it says."

"I can't believe you thought you needed a  _book_ to know that." Sebastian rolled his eyes fondly, taking the book from Kurt's hands and tossing it aside on the bed before pulling him by the arms. "Now, come here."

Kurt smiled and let himself be pulled into Sebastian's lap, wrapping his arms around the taller boy's neck as he kissed him softly on the lips.

"There are some things you don't need a book to know, poindexter," Sebastian teased, kissing Kurt again on his upturned lips. "No matter what that book says, I'm still going to love you just as much as I do right now—and that goes for you too, Blaine." He leaned to the side and kissed Blaine's full lips, smiling against them. "I'm kinda new to this whole relationship thing, but I know that I love you both with all my heart, and there's nothing I wouldn't do to show you that."

"Like going out and spending a small fortune on a huge bed and the most gorgeous bedding I've ever seen in my life?" Kurt asked, his voice soft and teasing.

Sebastian quirked a smile. "Yes, like that." He kissed Kurt on the head. "But that was just as much for me. Well, the sheets and stuff were for you, because I figured if I could buy you off with expensive sheets, you wouldn't kill me for taking over your bedroom."

" _Our_  bedroom," Kurt corrected with a warm grin. Blaine's breath hitched and his eyes grew suspiciously bright. "Speaking of  _our_  bedroom," Kurt prompted, his eyes scanning the room. "You have nothing but a suitcase. Where's all your stuff? I thought you were going to get it today?"

"Oh, I just got tied up with buying all the bed stuff and stopping by Dalton to put in my transfer that it slipped my mind," Sebastian lied. It hadn't slipped his mind. He'd driven past his house to find his father's car in the driveway and knew there was no way he was getting into the house. "I'm going to go get the rest of my stuff after dinner."

It was a Friday night, so he knew his father would be at his weekly poker game with his friends at the country club.

Blaine's bright voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Kurt and I will go with you."

And damn if Sebastian didn't want to take him up on it, but... "No, that's okay. This is something I have to do by myself." He stroked his fingertips along Blaine's cheek and smiled gently.

Kurt's eyebrows knitted in concern. "Is everything okay? Are you even sure your parents will let you stay here?"

"Yeah. That's not a problem. My dad's fine with it," Sebastian dismissed coolly, pointedly ignoring the first question.

Blaine looked as though he wanted to press further, opening his mouth before shutting it again with a shrug.

"I love you both," Sebastian said, unprompted, warmth settling in deep at how easy the words came.

"Love you, too," Kurt and Blaine said in unison before all three broke out into a fit of giggles.

"You guys have got that freaky old married couple thing going on, don't you?" Sebastian teased, enjoying the private smile shared between the pair. "I like it. You can see that you both love each other, and  _I_ love that you both love each other. It's beautiful."

" _Seb_ ," Kurt breathed, sentimental, as he reached forward to cup Sebastian's cheek with his hand and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you."

Blaine was quick to shuffle in, murmuring his own endearments before kissing Sebastian and settling in close to his side as Kurt stretched his legs out over Blaine's and leaned in closer to Sebastian's chest. Sebastian wound his arms around Kurt's middle and kissed his clothed shoulder, completely and utterly content.

They quickly got lost in a conversation about books when Blaine leaned down and picked up the warn paperback on the bed with the admission that he'd never read an Orwell novel. After his lighthearted tease of  _"I'm sorry, but I don't think this relationship is going to work out..."_ , Sebastian laughed and asked about the books he  _had_ read, the teasing intensifying when Kurt and Blaine launched into a discussion about Patty LuPone's autobiography."

"You guys  _really, really_  need to pick up a couple classics," Sebastian had pleaded. "Read some  _Bradbury_  for god's sake!"

The conversation shifted to the more agreeable topic of music, and Sebastian grudgingly admitted to knowing all the songs from Wicked, which had made Kurt clap his hands together happily with some notion of a sing-along that was never  _ever_  going to happen. Before long, Blaine was stretched out over both boys' laps as Kurt dragged his fingers idly through his curls as the smaller boy went on about Roxy Music. Sebastian just listened to the bright, passionate tone of his voice that only seemed to be present when he discussed music.

"I want to teach music to kids," Blaine had said when Sebastian asked. "I did it during the summer, showing kids down at the youth center how to play piano, and just seeing their faces when they finally get something right is the most amazing thing. I can't imagine my life without music, and I want to pass that love along to kids."

Sebastian had kissed him, soft and loving, on the lips before secretly turning his head to wipe at his eyes. Blaine was amazing.

They ate dinner in comfortable silence, a simple meal of ham and cheese sandwiches put together quickly when Kurt realized that it was much later than he thought. "There are worse ways to lose track of time, sweetheart," Blaine had said, kissing Kurt on the temple as he set the bread on the counter.

Sebastian helped Blaine with the dishes, insisting that Kurt had done enough and banishing him to the living room, before leaving for his dad's house at around seven. With any luck, he'd be able to get all of his things loaded into his car before his dad got home at ten. He clicked in his seatbelt and took a deep breath.

* * *

Traffic was light and he made the trip from Lima to Westerville in under two hours. When he pulled into the driveway, his father's car was gone. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and started toward the house, opening the door and moving quickly up the stairs.

He emptied his dresser into a duffel bag before moving to his closet and filling the rest of the bag before grabbing another, stretching up on his tiptoes to reach the cherry wood jewelry box hidden on the top shelf, lifting the lid to check that its contents were still inside before setting it neatly inside the bag before hastily tossing more odds and ends into the bag.

Moving over to his nightstand, he pulled out the drawer, rolling his eyes as he saw all of its contents had been disturbed and clearly rifled through. He slid the drawer closed with a sigh, knowing he didn't need to look anymore. He knew that what he was originally looking for was gone-taken. It didn't matter, not really, so he went back to his suitcase, standing back for a moment as he tossed his watch into the bag as an afterthought.

It was a strange feeling to try and pack his whole life into just a couple suitcases, but he pushed through; he didn't have time to get sentimental, so he tossed his laptop and the cords into the backpack and zipped it closed, heaving it over his shoulder along with the other and heading down the stairs, grabbing the 5x7 picture hanging on the wall and tucking it inside the bag.

The picture was his mother's favorite. It was taken when he was little, no older than two. His mother was holding his hands up over his head to keep him standing in her lap as she laughed behind him. He'd spent hours sitting on the stairs just looking at the picture, and he couldn't leave it. He dropped his key on the table at the foot of the stairs as he shut the door behind him.

By the time he got home, it was well past midnight. He'd taken the long way home to give himself time to think, time to clear his head.

Figuring Kurt and Blaine were already asleep, he decided not to disturb them by showering in the adjoining bathroom, so instead, he padded down the hall toward the guest bathroom. The heat of the shower did amazing things for his tense muscles—relaxing and unknotting—so he spent a little extra time under the spray, letting the water beat down against his shoulders before shutting off the tap and stepping out, grabbing the towel from the bar and scrubbing it through his hair before wrapping it around his waist and quietly making his way across the hall.

He opened the door to Kurt's bedroom— _their_ bedroom, he thought with a private smile _—_ and took a shocked step back at the sight that met him as he opened the door and stepped inside, immediately closing it behind himself.

Kurt and Blaine were hidden from the waist down by the ivory colored top sheet and tangled closely together, their hands tentatively exploring the other in way that spoke to their innocence, the touches fleeting and soft. The comforter had been neatly pushed to the end of the bed, and as Sebastian's eyes scanned the room a bit further, he noticed a little path of clothes that had been discarded by the side of the bed.

He swallowed against the lump in his throat as he rocked back on his heels, suddenly unsure.

The three of them had discussed their feelings for each other and what they figured it meant that they were bonded, but the topic of where they stood as far as an actual relationship hadn't come up.

"Oh," Sebastian stuttered out, raising a hand to rub at the back of his neck while gesturing toward the dresser with the other. "I-I'm sorry. I thought you guys would be asleep. I don't mean to interrupt. Just, um, let me grab a pair of underwear and I'll leave you guys alone."

He didn't want to admit that he was just a little hurt, so he shrugged and took a step toward the dresser. It made sense, he thought. Kurt and Blaine were  _KurtandBlaine_  before he came along, so there was no reason that it still shouldn't be that way. It didn't make sense for him to be hurt by the fact that they wanted to do couple stuff without him. His thoughts were cut off by Kurt's voice, coming soft and shy from the head of the bed.

Kurt sat up, his eyes cast to where he was toying with the hem of the sheet as he said, "A-Actually, S-Seb, we were waiting for  _you._ "


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Mention of past dub-con

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

Blaine smiled, bright and hopeful, as he lifted his hands, wiggling his fingers toward Sebastian in invitation as he sat up as well. "Come here." His voice was more sure than Kurt's had been, but there was an undercurrent of something Sebastian couldn't quite put his finger on—excitement maybe?

Sebastian returned the smile and walked over to take Blaine's hands, letting himself be pulled down until he was sitting on the bed, lifting the smaller boy's wrist to his lips to press a kiss over where his name was etched on the skin before dropping their joined hands to his lap and idly playing with Blaine's fingers, enjoying the quiet hum of contentment the action elicited. Both Kurt and Blaine looked a little flushed and Sebastian noticed that Kurt kept pulling the sheet a little higher to prevent being overexposed. His posture was rigid and his eyes spoke to the nerves he was trying to hide behind his stoic expression.

When Blaine shifted a little to be closer to Sebastian's side, the sheet moved with him, showing the bare skin of his hip-a patch that should have been covered by the boxer-briefs he usually slept in.

Immediately, Sebastian's eyes fell on the clothes scattered on the floor and saw two pairs of underwear laying among the small pile of clothes.

"Oh my God," Sebastian breathed, "you guys are-"

Kurt shifted self-consciously, pulling the sheet a bit higher, and Blaine reached over to slide a hand along his back, his eyes warm and sympathetic. Kurt seemed to relax a little at the familiar touch, but the tension was still evident in his squared shoulders.

Sebastian leaned over Blaine and kissed Kurt on the lips softly. "You're beautiful, Kurt. You shouldn't try to hide that."

Blaine kissed Kurt on the cheek as Sebastian kissed him again on the lips. "Here, I've got an idea," Sebastian said, his voice bright and encouraging, even if he was still a bit confused. He slid off the bed and stood up, standing with his back to the bed and dropping his towel before sliding under the covers beside the nervous boy. Kurt's eyes widened as their legs pressed flush together, and Sebastian gave him a soft reassuring smile as he swept a stray lock of hair off Kurt's forehead. "It's just nakedness, Kurt," Sebastian soothed, his hand sliding down to stroke Kurt's face with his fingertips before cupping his cheek and kissing him lightly on the lips.

Being naked had never bothered Sebastian. He'd always been comfortable in his own skin in a way that he'd noticed not many people were. He was always confident enough in his appearance to be able to be comfortable in pretty much any situation, a trait that was enforced by many back room trysts and one-night stands. Being naked was always just a thing to him, but it was apparent from the discomfort that radiated from Kurt that he didn't feel the same way.

Kurt bit down on his lip, and Blaine kissed him on the bare shoulder, nuzzling in close and letting Kurt's body relax against his own, before meeting Sebastian's eyes. "Kurt's got a little problem with being naked."

"Well, Kurt, you're gorgeous, so I'm not sure why you have such a problem with showing it off," Sebastian said, his voice carrying a hint of a promise but light in a way he hoped would pull Kurt out of his shell as he slid the pad of his thumb over Kurt's bottom lip to free it from his teeth and kissed him soft and full on his abused lips, willing the tense set of Kurt's shoulders to relax before whispering into the nervous boy's ear, "Tell ya what, if I see anything I've never seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it. How's that?"

Kurt's lips twitched up into a nervous smile and Sebastian was quick to give him another soft kiss as Blaine stroked his cheek in encouragement. "Thank you, Seb," Kurt said, his soft voice shaking with nervousness.

"So, at the risk of being presumptuous, I'm going to ask: Why are we naked? Not that I mind sharing a bed with two amazingly beautiful naked guys," Sebastian smirked and pressed a kiss to Blaine's forehead, earning himself a warm smile. "but what's going on?" he finished, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and pulling him closer, dropping a kiss to his head as he felt the other boy relax into his side.

Ever the diplomat, Blaine was the first to speak up. "Kurt and I talked today while you were out, and we thought that, since we've finally got the house to ourselves for a night—Burt and Carole are at some mixer in Columbus until at least three—we decided that, if you're ready, then maybe tonight we could..." he trailed off, blush spreading high on his cheekbones. Sebastian couldn't help but kiss him on the lips, causing the blush to deepen. "I know that  _you_  know that Kurt and I are—are virgins, and you're not, and—and that's completely fine..." Sebastian's smile turned fond at Blaine's rambling words as he fought the urge to kiss him again. "so, we talked about it, and if—if you're ready then...so are we."

Blaine breathed a heavy sigh of relief that he managed to finish his speech. When Sebastian didn't respond right away, they mistook his shock and pure adoration for the boys beside him for hesitance. Kurt reached to take his hand over top of the blanket. "I'm sorry that we didn't talk to you about it first. We just figured that it was only really a big deal for us, because it's not  _your_  first time, and-"

"You're wrong." Kurt and Blaine looked at Sebastian with bemused expressions, and he shook his head to clear it and make himself be able to convey the right amount of emotion. He took a deep breath and continued, squeezing lightly at Kurt's hand in his lap. "No, I mean you're right about the not being a virgin thing. That ship sailed a  _long_  time ago." He shared a private smile with Kurt and Blaine before continuing, "I meant that you're wrong about his not being a big deal to me. I mean, it's kind of  _everything,_ isn't it?" He pulled Kurt closer and rested his flat palm over his heart, sliding his thumb idly over the pale skin.

He took Blaine's hand and continued, hoping he was able to convey the sentiment he was so out of practice with, "You only get one first time, and I want it to be perfect for you guys. My first time sucked, and I don't want it to be like that for you, because sex  _can_  feel good— _amazing even_ —even if it's your first time. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to do this, but just know that I love you—both of you—and I'm so happy that you're letting me share this with you."

Blaine's eyes were suspiciously bright and Kurt ducked his head to kiss Sebastian's bare shoulder. "We love you, too, Sebastian. I don't think there's anyone else in the world we'd share it with but you," Kurt said with Sebastian's favorite warm, crooked smile. "You know, I didn't take you for the sentimental type," Kurt teased, his expression one of pure warmth and adoration.

Sebastian couldn't help but return the smile. "I'm usually not. I think it's just around you. You guys turn me into a girl or something. I don't get it." Sebastian's lips quirked up into a teasing smile for a pregnant moment before his expression turned serious and he found Kurt's gaze. "I just love you guys and want to make this something you'll  _want_ to remember, because it was with someone who took their time and treated you the way you should be treated as opposed to wanting to forget because it hurt and you didn't like it."

He tried not to overplay his hand. This wasn't about him or his hang ups, but looking at the warm, trusting faces of the boys he loved, he was hit with the memory of his own first time.

He remembered sneaking into a nightclub in Paris when he was fourteen. He'd just been sent to live with his grandmother and he decided to rebel, felt he had something to prove to himself, even if he's still not sure what it was. When he sat down at the bar, it took less than five minutes before someone came up to him and offered to buy him a drink. The guy said he was twenty, but Sebastian knew he was older, but the way he smiled and touched Sebastian's face had made him feel wanted—desired—so he let the guy keep feeding him fruity drinks that made his mouth taste like cherry juice. It was the first time he'd ever gotten drunk, and he liked it. It made him forget about what he'd lost, made him forget about walking in on his father fucking some blonde barmaid less than a month after his mother was buried, made him forget that, even in a crowd of people, he still felt alone.

So, when he offered, he let the guy with pretty teeth and shiny eyes buy him another drink before dragging him to the packed dance floor, barely noticing when the stranger's hands started to roam a little lower on his stomach, dipping into the waistband of his jeans as he ground against his ass. He was drunk and it felt good to have someone make him feel sexy, so he kept dancing as he felt the guy pull him closer and closer still before he tried to untangle himself from the strangers arms, and say that he should get home.

He remembered the way the words sounded sweet and honey smooth as the stranger grabbed his wrist and whispered something about 'paying him back for all the drinks'. Sebastian had quickly tried to reach into his pocket to pull out some money and the stranger laughed and caught his wrist, shaking his head and saying that he had something else in mind.

There were brief flickers in Sebastian's mind of what happened after that moment on the dance floor. He remembered knowing that he should get home, feeling guilty that his grandmother would notice he was gone and worry. Most of all, he remembered the smell of cheap cologne mingling with the sounds of sex coming from the other occupied stalls and filling the club bathroom. There was another flash where he could remember hot hands sliding down his chest, grabbing his ass possessively. It felt good, but it was a little too hard. Then fingers were opening him up quickly, burning a lot because it was too much, too soon, more than he'd let himself try on his own before, and then all at once, feeling stretched and filled. He heard his own voice squeak out a quiet cry of pain, but it went ignored, he wasn't even sure the stranger heard it.

But the guy behind him was moaning and keeping up a steady chorus of praises, so Sebastian tried to relax. It started to hurt less and he's pretty sure he came once the stranger started to jerk him off, but he doesn't remember.

He woke up feeling sore the next morning and there was a little blood from being taken too soon, but he didn't let himself cry. He dressed quickly, caught the metro to school, and went on as though nothing had happened. But that had been the last time he'd let a stranger buy him a drink.

Kurt squeezed his hand and it pulled him from his thoughts.

Sebastian took a deep breath and spoke clearly to both boys. "I just want it to be good for you, because it can be amazing, and I know you're both nervous, but I want to show you that."

Blaine leaned over Kurt's lap and framed Sebastian's face with his hands. "I love you so much, Seb."

He could tell by the way Blaine didn't seem to have any trouble letting the blanket fall low enough to give a good view of his hips that he was only going along with the modesty thing for Kurt, and Sebastian wondered what could possibly cause someone as beautiful as Kurt to have such poor self-image.

"I love you, too, Blaine," he whispered, holding the younger boy's face between his hands and kissing him just a bit deeper. Neither one missed the way Kurt breathed out a shuddery breath as he watched the two of them kissing. Sebastian felt himself getting hard just from feeling Blaine's lips against his own and glanced over to see the sheet tented over Blaine's lap. "Blaine," he asked, breaking away and reaching over to take the edge of the blanket. "Can we take this off?"

Blaine nodded quickly as he pushed the blanket down far enough to slip his legs free.

"You're so beautiful, Blaine," Sebastian breathed, kissing him again with a bit more urgency before they both pulled away and turned toward Kurt.

Kurt's body stiffened under their gaze and he held tighter to his part of the blanket over his lap in a way that made Sebastian and Blaine's hearts break. Sebastian kissed him, soft and loving, on the lips as he pulled the sheets away from his own body and threw his leg over Kurt's lap until he was straddling him. Kurt stiffened further at the action, tension radiating from him.

"It's okay, Kurt," Sebastian soothed, petting over the boy's hands as they gripped the sheet. "I'm not going to pull it away. Not until you're ready, okay?"

Kurt's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before nodding woodenly, his eyes taking in the sight of his boys, both naked and sitting so close. "You're both  _so_  amazing," he whispered, his voice low and reverent.

Blaine leaned in and captured Kurt's lips, eliciting a shocked whimper as he sucked on the tender flesh of his bottom lip just as Sebastian ducked down and began peppering wet, sucking kisses to his neck and collarbone. Heat rushed through Sebastian as he felt long, slender fingers come to tangle in his hair. "Oh my God," Kurt whined in a reedy breath, his fingers tightening in a quick spasm as his hips lifted as best they could under Sebastian's weight.

"Feel good, babe?" Sebastian asked absently, dropping his head back to continue. He was surprised when Kurt's head tipped back further and a soft moan slipped past his lips on a shaky exhale.

"S-Say that again," Kurt shaky voice was rough and awed, but Sebastian was past understanding, the salty warm taste of Kurt's skin still tingling his lips in a way that made it almost impossible to think.

"Say what?" He murmured against the Kurt's rapidly fluttering pulse as he tried to think to through the fog in his brain until he finally realized, "Babe?"

Kurt whimpered as he tipped his head down to capture Sebastian's mouth in a desperate kiss, whining against his lips as Blaine sucked roughly on the other side of his neck. "You like when I call you 'babe'?"

"Mmhm," Kurt hummed out in a needy, breathless sound.

Sebastian smiled against Kurt's lips, shaking his head in incredulity. "God, Kurt, you're so beautiful. I love you so much."

He kissed Kurt deeper, sweeping his tongue over the seam of Kurt's soft lips until they parted in invitation. Blaine's hands were roaming over the toned muscles of Sebastian's back, kissing whatever patch of skin caught his eye and humming out quiet sounds of approval when Kurt pulled away and spoke, the words nothing more than a soft whimper on his lips, "Please, Seb. C-Can I touch you?"

Sebastian rolled his hips down against where Kurt was hard beneath the sheet. "Of course, babe. You don't have to ask. I'm yours."

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut as if to center himself and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Sebastian's chest, his hands tentatively lifting toward the taller boy's hips before stopping and falling back to land on his thighs. "I-I want to touch you, but I—I don't know how..."

Sebastian kissed him again, sucking at Kurt's bottom lip and loving the way Kurt's fingers unconsciously tightened in his hair. "Just do what  _you_  like, and I'll tell you what I like and what I don't, okay?"

"But...I don't know what  _I_ like," Kurt whispered against Sebastian's lips. The admission sounded almost embarrassed.

Blaine was the first to catch on, having more practice at reading Kurt's little tells. His smile was warm and patient as he met Kurt's eyes, reaching out to stroke along his delicately flushed cheek. "Just touch Sebastian like you'd touch yourself, sweetheart," Blaine encouraged, settling next to Kurt on the bed and kissing him lovingly on the lips.

Kurt pulled away and ducked his head, his blush spreading to the tips of his ears. "But I  _don't_."

"You 'don't'  _what,_ Kurt?" Sebastian asked, fighting against the urge to keep peppering Kurt's neck with fevered kisses and pulling back to look into Kurt's eyes, feeling a little confused and a lot turned on in a way that made it incredibly hard to focus.

Thank God for Blaine.

"You don't  _touch yourself_?" Blaine asked, the words a soft, incredulous realization.

It was easy to see the way Kurt shrank back as though he wanted to disappear. Blaine's eyes dimmed and he slid closer to Kurt's side, cradling the embarrassed boy in his arms. Sebastian moved off Kurt's lap to sit beside him just as Kurt pulled his knees to his chest. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, his voice brimming with self-deprecation. "I knew I'd ruin this. I just knew it."

"Hey, baby, no," Blaine soothed, kissing the side of Kurt's head and squeezing his shoulders. "That's okay. It's perfectly okay that you don't do that. I just didn't know."

Kurt didn't look away from his knees, so Sebastian tilted his chin up with a finger. "Why don't you touch yourself, Kurt?"

"I just-" Kurt breathed out a resigned sigh. "I've  _tried_. It's just that, whenever I'd try, I'd feel stupid. Or I'd be afraid someone would walk in. Or I'd see myself in the mirror by my bed and get embarrassed, so I'd close my eyes and really try, but I just never could. I couldn't shut my brain off long enough, and I'd end up thinking of every reason why I shouldn't until I just got frustrated." Kurt's voice was thick with sadness and he sounded close to tears. Sebastian had to strain to hear the words that came next, whispered and muffled against his knees. "Finally, I just stopped trying at all."

Blaine looked almost on the verge of tears. "Oh, Kurt," he breathed, "baby, is that why you got freaked out and made me leave when we were practicing sexy faces?"

Kurt met Blaine's gaze and nodded, his eyes still swimming with unshed tears before resting his chin against his knees again and whispering, "I'm not  _sexy_ , Blaine. Both of you are, and I'm just... _Kurt._  And I just felt so stupid whenever I'd try, imagining what I looked like and how I sounded. I just couldn't stand feeling so embarrassed."

Blaine's eyes had gone a bit distant, as though he was imagining the same scenario that Kurt was describing but with a different opinion as to whether or not it was sexy.

"So you've never had an orgasm before?" Sebastian asked, trying to keep his voice even.

Kurt just shook his head. "God, I feel like a freak," he whispered miserably, tears shining in his eyes.

"No, babe, you're not a freak. You're perfect," Sebastian promised, leaning forward to kiss Kurt's forehead, brushing away a stray lock of hair and smiling gently. "You're beautiful and completely normal, okay?"

Kurt didn't look convinced and Blaine cut in. "Why don't you let Sebastian and I prove you wrong?" Sebastian turned to meet Blaine's eyes, grateful, and nodded his agreement, turning back to Kurt as Blaine continued, "Let us show you just how sexy you are. Will you let us do that?"

And again, Sebastian thought, Thank  _God_  for Blaine.

Kurt nodded, so Blaine kissed him in a way that sent heat flying down Sebastian's spine. Kurt whimpered as he leaned into the kiss with his whole body, and Sebastian lifted a hand to Kurt's chest, let it slide down and catch on one of Kurt's nipples, eliciting a high whine against Blaine's lips, just a needy breath of a sound.

"Did you still want to touch me?" Sebastian asked, his breath ghosting hotly against the shell of Kurt's ear.

"Y-Yes." Another whined breath.

Sebastian took Kurt's hand and wrapped his long fingers around his cock, using his own hand to guide Kurt's. "Just like that, babe. See," he encouraged breathily, leaning down to kiss him again as he let go of Kurt's hand.

Kurt continued to stroke him, his movements a bit unsure and tentative until he twisted his wrist on an upstroke and had Sebastian all but panting into his mouth. "Oh, God, Kurt. So good. Just like that."

Blaine's hand had been sliding low across Sebastian's stomach as his mouth sucked roughly at Kurt's neck, the pulse rapidly fluttering beneath his lips. He slid his hand down to rest on Kurt's thigh, massaging the tight muscles through the sheet before letting his touch slide closer toward where the sheet was tented over Kurt's erection. "Kurt, baby, can we take this off of you? Please?"

Kurt's hand stilled on Sebastian's cock and the taller boy breathed out a shaky sigh of relief. He'd been ready to tell Kurt to stop because it was just about to be too much. Soft hands and long fingers had almost pitched Sebastian over the edge embarrassingly quickly.

As he registered Blaine's words, Sebastian tensed and waited for Kurt's reaction, speaking quickly when the silence stretched on too long. "You don't have to yet, if you don't want to, but it's okay, babe. Blaine and I are both naked, so it's not like you're going to be the only one. We're all pretty much in the same boat here."

Kurt nodded slowly but bit his lip, his hand shaking as he reached for the hem of the sheet.

"Wait," Sebastian murmured, stilling Kurt's movement and lacing their fingers together as he lifted their hands to his lips and kissed the back of Kurt's. "Here, just lie down, okay?"

He slid down to lie on his side facing Kurt before pulling Kurt down until he was resting flat on his back, his head turned toward Sebastian, nervous blue eyes scanning the taller boy's face until Sebastian reached out to rest a hand on Kurt's cheek, giving him a small smile and sliding closer, holding himself up on his elbow so he could peer down at Kurt's face. "Just relax, Kurt. It's okay."

The nervous boy worried his lip between his teeth until Sebastian shook his head lightly and freed the abused flesh with the pad of his thumb. "Kiss me," he instructed, his voice warm and quiet.

Slowly, Kurt closed the small distance between them and kissed Sebastian, just a hesitant, barely there brush of lips until Sebastian let his hand slide down Kurt's neck to rest on his bare chest, using his flat palm to tease the sensitive skin as Blaine's hands joined his own on Kurt's body, sliding slow and sensual across his chest and the exposed part of his belly, making Kurt whine softly against Sebastian's lips and kiss him a little harder out of instinct.

Sebastian slid his hand slowly and with deliberate intention toward the hem of the sheet, ghosting his thumb across the place where the edge of the sheet rested on Kurt's stomach before letting his fingers slip beneath underneath, letting his hand slide across the dip between Kurt's hips, the skin warmer to the touch from being under the blanket, until the side of his hand bumped into where Kurt's cock was resting flushed and hard against his belly.

Kurt whined into Sebastian's mouth at the contact, and he heard the wet sound of Blaine's mouth finding Kurt's neck again as his hand continued sliding across Kurt's chest, thumbs catching on the peaked nipples that stood in stark contrast to such pale skin.

"Seb,  _please..."_ The request trailed off in a breath against Sebastian's lips, but the meaning was clear enough. Still, Sebastian needed to be sure.

"Do you want me to touch you, babe?"

"Y-Yes." Kurt's whispered voice was lower than Sebastian had ever heard it and the sound of it sent heat flickering through his body.

He teased Kurt's length with the back of his fingers before flipping his hand over to slide the pads of his fingers down the length as well. Kurt's back arched off the mattress as a needy  _"Oh."_  slipped past his lips in a gasp. His fingers tightened in Sebastian's hair as the taller boy took Kurt into his hand and stroked him fluidly, palming over the slit to slick his hand with the beads of precome before sliding back down more easily and picking up a rhythm that had Kurt panting into his mouth, the kiss becoming messy and dirty as Kurt struggled to find the balance between kissing and breathing.

Sebastian barely noticed Blaine kissing his way down Kurt's chest and stomach until he felt cool air hit his hand as Blaine slowly lifted the sheet, pausing to give Kurt time to protest before stripping it away completely. He felt Blaine's lips press against the back of his hand, so he broke the kiss long enough to look down to where Blaine was staring up at them both with expectant, lust-blown eyes. Sebastian stilled his hand and lifted it to rest on top of Blaine's messy curls as he heard Blaine's voice, warm and honey smooth.

"Kurt," Blaine prompted, and Kurt's eyes fluttered open to meet Blaine's, his chest heaving and a delicate pink flush spreading from his cheeks down to his chest, a light sheen of sweat shining in the dim lamplight of the bedroom. "God, Kurt. You're so  _beautiful_ ," Blaine breathed, pressing his lips to the spot right below Kurt's navel. "So perfect like this."

Kurt whined and his hand found it's way to Blaine's hair, tangling with Sebastian's fingers in the thick curls. Blaine mouthed over Kurt's hipbones, sucking rough enough to leave a mark before soothing over it with his tongue in a way that made Kurt arch off the mattress. Blaine's breath was ragged and uneven as he panted against Kurt's skin. "Kurt, baby, let me blow you. Please."

Beyond words, Kurt twisted his fingers deeper into Blaine's hair and moaned as he nodded. Blaine wasted no time and started kissing up the smooth length of Kurt's cock, sliding the flat of his tongue over ridge just below the crown and causing Sebastian to have to kiss Kurt in order to stifle a loud, keening moan.

Unexpected, Blaine's hand slid up Sebastian's thigh to wrap guitar calloused fingers around his cock and start jerking him off. " _Jesus_ , Blaine," Sebastian groaned, carding his fingers through the younger boy's hair and earning himself a low hum of appreciation. Kurt's eyes rolled back as the vibrations of the sound traveled through his cock.

"Oh...B-Blaine..." Kurt whined, batting at where Blaine was stroking him in time with the rhythm of his mouth. Kurt's toes curled against the sheets and his hips lifted off the mattress. "B-Blaine you've got to st— _stop. Please!"_ Kurt's high voice was growing frantic and sounded a little nervous.

Blaine must have noticed, because before Sebastian could move to make Blaine stop, he pulled off, still stroking gently until Kurt batted his hand away.

Kurt whimpered and his chest heaved as his body sagged against the mattress, his eyes screwing shut as if to steady himself. Blaine darted a nervous glance toward Sebastian, his eyes mirroring the concern Sebastian felt, as he slid to Kurt's side and rubbed a hand across the panting boy's bicep. "Kurt? What's the matter? Didn't it feel good?"

Kurt swallowed thickly and lifted his hands to knot into his own hair. "God, it felt amazing, but then I started to feel weird. I got really  _hot_  and shaky and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest if I didn't stop..."

Blaine shook his head and breathed out a quiet sigh, relief clear in both his expression and his posture, as he leaned forward to kiss Kurt, stopping his rambling worry. "Baby, that's how it's supposed to feel," Blaine's voice was gentle and he kissed Kurt again on the lips softly.

"It—It is?" Kurt asked, his voice breathless and still rough with arousal.

It was Sebastian who answered, having finally found his voice. "Yeah, babe." Sebastian's words were gentle and even as he reassured Kurt. "At first, you feel warm and your nerves feel sort of jittery, and then that jittery warm feeling spreads everywhere," He let his hands slide all across Kurt's body to illustrate his point. "and it builds and builds until you think you can't stand it anymore and then all of a sudden it feels like something crashes into you—like a wave—and it's amazing and you don't ever want it to stop."

"Is—Is that what it feels like for you?" Kurt asked, his eyes flickering shyly between Blaine and Sebastian.

Sebastian nodded and Blaine leaned forward and captured his lips in a passionate kiss, his tongue pushing past the taller boy's parted lips and into the warm cavern of his mouth and kissing him deep and passionate, before breaking away panting, his hand resting on Sebastian's face, thumb sliding across his flushed cheek. "So hot, Seb," he breathed. "You are  _so_ hot."

One more quick kiss to Sebastian's lips and then Blaine turned his attention back toward Kurt.

"Sweetheart, tell us what you want," Blaine coaxed, ducking down to kiss Kurt softly on the lips before straddling his waist and curving down in order to kiss him deeper as he rocked his hips, rutting against Kurt's belly.

" _You."_ The words ghosted out on a breath against Blaine's lips. "B-Both of you."

Sebastian shook his head and shifted closer to Kurt's side in order to kiss him on the cheek. "You've got us, babe. We're here."

"N-No," Kurt whined, his hips lifting as Blaine's cock slid against his own. "Inside, Seb. I want you inside me."

Sebastian had to bite back the breathless moan that threatened to escape. He lifted his hand to turn Kurt's head toward him with his finger and kiss him full on the lips as Blaine kissed and nuzzled against Kurt's neck.

Breaking away, Sebastian couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "You are so amazing, Kurt. So beautiful." He punctuated the declaration with a kiss. "I love you so much."

Light danced in Kurt's eyes in a way that took Sebastian's breath away. He stroked the side of Kurt's face with the tips of his fingers and kissed him in a featherlight brush of lips before reaching down to coax Blaine to face him and kissing him as well, repeating the quiet  _"I love you so much"_ to the younger boy with just as much adoration plain in his voice.

With a parting kiss to Kurt's lips, Sebastian slid down the bed and prompted Kurt to spread his legs before kneeling between them, bending down and kissing his belly, sucking a mark on his hip to mirror the one Blaine left on the opposite side. He let his hands tease the insides of Kurt's thighs, not missing the full body shudder the action elicited—Kurt's skin was very sensitive. He looked away from Kurt's stomach and let his eyes scan the room, wondering whether or not Kurt and Blaine had had the foresight to pick up a couple necessary supplies.

Blaine must have seen him hesitate because before Sebastian could ask, Blaine was rambling. "Um..Kurt and I went to the store before we came home." He kissed Kurt quickly on the lips before rolling to the side and digging in the drawer of the nightstand and returning with almost an armful of supplies. "We checked online about stuff we'd need. So, we got...um...condoms, lubricant—we didn't know which kind we needed so we got both kinds—and aloe wipes."

Sebastian tried unsuccessfully not to laugh at the way Blaine eagerly gestured to the excess of things he had dropped on the bed, tried not to imagine the look on the cashier's face as they nervously put all the supplies on the counter. Blaine flushed red and cast his gaze to the bed. "It's too much, isn't it?"

Sebastian smiled and leaned forward to kiss Blaine gently on the lips, his own quirked up into a smile. "You're very cute, Blaine. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Blaine flushed darker and a soft smile spread across his face. Sebastian kissed him again and gathered up the things on the bed, tearing open one of the three—really,  _three?_ —boxes of condoms, pulling out one of the packets and snatching the tube of KY to set back down by Kurt's knees before leaning over to set everything else on the nightstand.

"How 'bout we just start with this?" He gestured to the condom and lube he'd set on the bed, his lips still quirked up in a fond smile. "Hand me a pillow?"

Blaine scrambled to pull the pillow out from behind him, but Sebastian cut him off. "One of the pillows we're  _not_  going to be sleeping on," he said lightly, pecking Blaine on the lips as he took the thick throw pillow from his hands. Sebastian tapped on Kurt's hip. "Lift up, babe."

He slid the pillow under him when he lifted before sliding flat palms in soothing patterns across Kurt's thighs. "You okay?" Kurt nodded, but his eyes looked nervous. "You have to tell me what you're thinking or else I won't know." He continued to pet Kurt's thighs, sliding his hands closer toward his center.

"W-Will this hurt?" He asked, his voice was almost shy despite the fact that he was still visibly turned on.

"No, I'm going to take care of you, okay? It shouldn't hurt, and if it does I want you to tell me. Will you do that, Kurt, please?"

Kurt nodded and Sebastian leaned forward to kiss him, stroking his cheek before pulling away. Kurt's lips chased his own. He couldn't help but smile and lean down for a quick peck before settling back on his knees between Kurt's legs and thumbing open the cap of the lube.

"What do I do?" Blaine asked, clearly uncomfortable with being out of his element.

"Kiss him while I get him ready. Make sure he's relaxed and comfortable," Sebastian instructed. Blaine nodded and shifted closer to Kurt. The smile that Kurt gave Blaine was nothing short of beautiful. It was all shy innocence and pure love personified in a way that made Sebastian's heart swell and sent warmth flooding through his body. Those boys were  _his_.

He coated his fingers and slid his free hand over Kurt's thighs to coax them further apart before scooting up between them so they couldn't close again and reaching down to slide slick fingers over Kurt's opening. He heard Kurt whine into Blaine's mouth and saw him pull the smaller boy closer. "Alright, babe. Just breathe, okay?"

Sebastian teased over Kurt's hole with his finger, applying light pressure to get him used to the sensation before pressing in hard enough to breach the tight muscle, pausing to pet at Kurt's thigh and remind him to breathe as he slid his finger in to the second knuckle and started to massage Kurt open. Moving his finger in and out and twisting to stretch him.

" _Oh God..."_ Kurt whimpered, craning his neck uselessly to see before letting his head fall back against the pillow.

"What does it feel like?" Blaine asked, his voice rough and turned on, but honestly curious.

"I—He's  _touching_  me.  _Inside_. And I can feel it," Kurt said in an long exhale. Sebastian pressed a kiss to the inside of his leg before sliding his finger out, heat flickering in his stomach as he watched Kurt's empty hole flutter around nothing as he coated a second finger and started to press in slowly. " _Oh!"_

Kurt squeezed down on his fingers as he worked them inside, wiggling them to stretch until he could begin to stroke them along the soft walls in a way that had Kurt breathing out little helpless noises that alternated between discomfort and pleasure.

"Yeah, this is a little more. You're doing perfect, babe. Just keep breathing and relax," Sebastian soothed, dropping kisses to the tops of Kurt's thighs and petting his stomach gently, hoping to ease him into relaxing. Sebastian wasn't sure if it was his own coaxing, Blaine's kissing, or a combination of both, but he felt when Kurt's body started to yield to his touch, when Kurt himself relaxed around the intrusion. "Perfect, that's perfect babe. Just like that."

Kurt breathed out a shaky exhale at the praise at the same time Sebastian twisted his fingers and stroked across his prostate. A sudden shocked gasp mingled with a keening moan as Kurt's back arched off the bed.

"Right there?" Sebastian asked, leaning down to drop kisses along the crease of Kurt's thigh as he repeated the motion.

" _Yes,"_  Kurt breathed, turning back to kiss a positively dumbstruck Blaine. He repeated the angle until Kurt was crying out against Blaine's lips and unconsciously fucking himself on Sebastian's fingers in a way that sent ravenous heat surging through Sebastian's body.

He teased his ring finger around Kurt's stretched opening before sliding it in alongside the other two, pleased by the way Blaine swallowed down Kurt's hiss of discomfort over the stretch. "It's okay, babe. It'll feel good again soon. I promise."

Sebastian worked his fingers around inside until he could move them freely, stroking Kurt's walls and teasing across his prostate with flitting taps and strokes until Kurt was whining against Blaine's lips and rocking back against Sebastian's hand again.

A particularly loud whine made Sebastian look up toward Kurt again, seeing the way his arm was wrapped tightly around Blaine's middle, holding tightly, as the smaller boy rutted against his hip, face buried in the crook of Kurt's neck and pressing fevered kisses as he murmured quiet endearments against the flushed skin.

"God, you are both so fucking hot," Sebastian breathed, leaning over Kurt to kiss him, deep and dirty, reveling in the way Kurt's hands immediately came to knot into his hair to hold him in place. "You're so beautiful, Kurt. I mean it. You are fucking  _gorgeous_."

Kurt's head fell back against the pillow as Sebastian's fingers twisted just right inside of him. "L-Love you, Seb," he said around a moan.

Sebastian swept away the hair that was stuck to Kurt's forehead before kissing him again. "I love you, too, Kurt."

" _Please_ , I want you to-" Kurt broke off, unable to finish the words as a new blush colored his cheeks.

"What, sweetheart?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt took a breath, whining quietly as Blaine sucked hard against his neck. "Inside me, Seb. Please."

Blaine stilled against Kurt's side and lifted his eyes to meet Kurt's gaze, smiling a gentle smile that seemed to make light dance in Kurt's eyes.

"Okay," Sebastian answered, the simple declaration no higher than a whisper against Kurt's lips. He tore open the condom and rolled it on with shaky hands, feeling something akin to stage fright settle in, though he couldn't quite place why until he saw the way Kurt was gazing up at him, with love, adoration, and complete and total trust.

He slicked himself up and spread more lube across Kurt's opening before Blaine smartly handed him one of the (maybe not so) frivolously purchased aloe wipes. He hastily cleaned the lube from his hand and shifted back into place between Kurt's legs, holding his cock as he lined it up with where Kurt was open before pressing in.

"Breathe, sweetheart," he said softly, sliding his flat palm across Kurt's stomach. He leaned forward to kiss Kurt softly as he slid in another inch, swallowing the gasp that slipped past his lips. "You're okay, babe."

Blaine lifted up onto his knees to kiss and nuzzle against Sebastian's neck, letting his hands roam the expanse of his back and shoulders before reaching down between the pair to take hold of Kurt's cock, stroking him back to full hardness as Sebastian slid in and bottomed out.

Kurt's eyes were screwed shut as Sebastian held himself up above him, watching for any flickers of pain to cross Kurt's face. He had to actively fight the urge to snap his hips the rest of the way forward and just  _take_. The feeling of being inside Kurt was like nothing Sebastian had ever experienced before. The tight, enveloping heat was familiar, but the sensation of being inside  _Kurt_  was enough to make Sebastian's knees shake.

He could feel the overwhelming pleasure all the way down to his toes, surging through him, warming him and setting a live current to every nerve in his body in a way that was so intense it was almost terrifying. But nothing in him wanted to fight the intensity. Everything in him knew to just give into it, let it carry him.

Finally, he had to speak, half to assess how Kurt was feeling and half to just keep himself from coming.

"Babe, you gotta talk to me," he urged, his voice was desperate and low even to his own ears.

Heat pooled warmer in his stomach as Kurt's eyes fluttered open, the brilliant blue only visible in tight rings around his lust-blown pupils. Sebastian shifted his weight and Kurt's eyes rolled back. "Oh,  _Oh god, Seb."_

Blaine spoke up, settling back down beside Kurt and stroking him lazily. "How does it feel?"

" _Incredible,"_  he breathed, his voice awed and dreamy. Sebastian's face lit up into a beaming smile as he leaned down to kiss him on the lips. "God, Seb. You feel  _amazing_. It's like you're everywhere."

"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked, forgetting for a moment that the words might be misconstrued as worry, so he amended, "I mean, can I move?"

Kurt nodded and Sebastian leaned down to kiss him again as he slowly slid out a couple inches before rocking back in in a slow, shallow thrust. It was enough to pull a gasping moan from Kurt as his hands grappled against Sebastian's shoulders, blunt nails biting into his skin. He took it as invitation and pulled out a little further on the next thrust before sliding back in with a gentle roll of his hips.

"Please, Seb...more..." Kurt whined on a breath. Sebastian kissed him again before straightening up and putting his hands on Kurt's hips to grip. He slowly slid out until Kurt's rim was only stretched around the head of his cock before snapping his hips forward once. Kurt arched and whined as his hands fisted into his own hair before Blaine untangled them. Kurt quickly pulled Blaine into his side and kissed him, deep and urgent as Sebastian set a quick rhythm for a series of shallow thrusts.

Blaine's hands roamed Kurt's body as beautiful, desperate sounds poured out of him. Blaine dropped sucking kisses to every part of Kurt's body he could reach, looking just as blissed out as if he were the one being taken, as if just watching Kurt was enough.

Suddenly, Sebastian got an idea. He reached down and lifted Kurt's pliant body until Kurt was straddling his thighs. "Come on, babe," Sebastian encouraged. "I just need you to wrap your legs around me. Can you do that?"

Kurt nodded and threw his arms around Sebastian's neck, clinging to him as though he was the only thing anchoring him to the ground as he lifted himself to better straddle Sebastian, the swell of his ass resting on the taller boy's thighs, his body supported by strong arms as Sebastian continued to fuck into him from the new angle. Kurt wailed and buried his face in the crook of Sebastian's neck, dropping desperate, appreciative kisses to his shoulder as he unconsciously whimpered out soft pleas against the skin.

"Blaine, baby, come here," Sebastian murmured, his voice smooth and low as he reached out toward Blaine. "Get behind Kurt."

Blaine nodded quickly and settled on his knees as Sebastian lifted Blaine's palm and squirted a dollop of lube in the center. He slicked himself up and pressed flush against Kurt's back, the length of his cock sliding perfectly between the cleft of Kurt's ass as he rutted against him in a desperate rhythm. Kurt whined, loud and needy, and pressed back into the new friction sliding against him.

Sebastian shifted himself and Kurt forward until Kurt was held flush between both bodies. Sebastian could feel Kurt's cock trapped between them, sliding easily across Sebastian's skin from the mix of sweat and precome. It was absolutely filthy in the most perfect way, and Kurt just kept making needy little whimpers that drove both Sebastian and Blaine quickly to the edge. Sebastian leaned over Kurt's shoulder to crash his lips against Blaine's, panting against the other boy's lips in a kiss that was too much air and tongue that neither was willing to break until the sound of Kurt's wrecked voice shook out around them.

" _Oh god, Seb,"_ Kurt whined, high and reedy, his voice scratchy from overuse. "Please, don't stop... _Blaine_..." His hand flew back to tangle into Blaine's hair to keep himself grounded as his breathless, halting whimpers and hums slipped past his lips with abandon. "B-Blaine...please..."

"I'm here, sweetheart," Blaine murmured into Kurt's ear, kissing the shell before mouthing along the sensitive skin behind his ear, holding tighter to Kurt's shaking body and ducking his head to drop a kiss to his sweat-damp hairline as he continued to slide maddeningly between Kurt's fleshy, perfect cheeks.

"Come on, babe. You're okay. Just let go. Blaine and I've got you," Sebastian encouraged, kissing Kurt full on the lips, pulling his full bottom lip between his teeth as he fucked into him. Kurt's sounds kept getting higher and more urgent, and Sebastian could tell that he was close. He just needed that last little push over the edge.

Sebastian lifted him at the same time that Blaine tightened his arm around Kurt's middle as the other hand took hold of Kurt's cock and stroked him quickly as Sebastian used his new found leverage to fuck him in a way that made Kurt's eyes roll back and a high, breathy keen to tear out before tapering off to a desperate whimper as he tightened his hold around Sebastian's neck.

"Oh God, Seb." Kurt's fingers knotted fitfully in Sebastian's hair. "Oh  _God_..." His voice was shaky and raspy from overuse. Sebastian crashed their lips together with bruising force, swallowing the helpless whines that were pouring from Kurt's throat as he kissed him, deep and searching.

"Come on, sweetheart. We've got you. Come for us," he coaxed against Kurt's lips, putting hands on his hips and shoving him down hard onto his cock.

Kurt's babbling moans broke off with a wail that sounded very much like a gasped out mix of Seb and Blaine's names as he pitched forward with a broken, breathy string of whined moans before whimpering loudly one time, his eyes rolling back and his body going lax in Sebastian's arms as his cock pulsed over and over against Sebastian's torso, spilling out his release against tanned, flushed skin.

"God, Kurt," Sebastian groaned, holding the pliant boy tighter and dropping urgent, adoring kisses to every bit of skin he could reach as he and Blaine continued to take him. Kurt's lax body was trembling between Blaine and Sebastian's. Blaine's teeth found Kurt's shoulder as he gasped out his own release and slumped against Kurt's back, pressing grateful kisses to the heated skin as Sebastian's hips canted upwards once, twice more before he was spent, his entire body buzzing with electricity as he dropped his head into the crook of Kurt's neck, hearing the soft, tired hums that came from the back of his throat.

"So beautiful, Kurt," Sebastian breathed against his neck, turning his head to press his lips against the pale column of his throat. "God, you're perfect."

Blaine hummed in agreement and lifted his head from where it rested against the back of Kurt's neck to coax Sebastian into a deep, languid kiss before breaking away and resting his forehead against Sebastian's. "That was  _amazing_ , Seb," he breathed against the taller boy's lips, his breaths ragged and shallow as he came down. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Blaine." Sebastian's smile was warm and sleepy when he pressed a final kiss to Blaine's forehead, whispering, "You are so much more amazing than you know, Blaine. _So_  beautiful."

"Thank you," Blaine hummed contentedly, smiling sleepily. He dropped his head to kiss the knob of Kurt's spine gently before unwrapping his arms and helping Sebastian ease their languid, beautiful soulmate down to rest against the pillows. His eyes were shut and there was a soft smile on his relaxed face.

* * *

Kurt wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been out. He vaguely remembered Blaine cleaning him up, knowing that he should probably be a little embarrassed at such an intimate touch but being too blissed out to care. Thought he could remember Sebastian brushing the hair off his forehead and pressing a kiss there as he pulled him into his arms, but his body felt too floaty and warm to really focus in on anything for too long.

Slowly, he let his eyes flutter open, meeting adoring gazes from Sebastian and Blaine.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Blaine greeted softly, stretching his neck to kiss Kurt on the lips before settling back into his side. Somehow, he'd ended up between Blaine and Sebastian. Not that he was arguing.

"W-What happened?" Kurt asked, feeling warm, content, and sleepy, but more than a little confused.

The last thing he remembered was Sebastian's voice telling him to come and then feeling like he was shaking apart at the seams as Sebastian filled him and Blaine rutted against his body. It had been amazing and exhilarating in a way he couldn't even begin to describe. He felt loved and cared for and absolutely cherished before the perfect warmth took him over and made him lose track of-well- _everything_.

"You kinda blacked out, babe," Sebastian said with a soft smile, kissing his forehead. "God, I've never seen anyone come that hard before." His voice sounded incredulous, and he pressed another kiss to the top of Kurt's head. "You were amazing, Kurt."

"I just remember it felt so good, and then it got really intense, and then it was just... _wow._ " Kurt's voice sounded distant, dreamy and tired, even to himself.

"You were perfect, Kurt," Blaine murmured, nuzzling sleepily into the crook of his neck, his arm wrapped around Kurt's middle, spooning him from behind as Sebastian cradled him from the front, Kurt's head resting on the taller boy's chest as long fingers slid through his hair in a way that was quickly dragging him toward unconsciousness.

"'m so sleepy," Kurt mumbled, shifting further into Sebastian's warm body.

"Sleep, Kurt," Sebastian said softly. "I love you both so much."

"Love you, too," Kurt and Blaine answered in unison.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Blaine murmured in Kurt's ear. Kurt was already asleep and Sebastian laughed lightly.

"Goodnight, Blaine."

Blaine gave him a small, sleepy— _beautiful—_ smile. "Goodnight, Seb."

Sebastian reached over and flicked off the light, falling asleep quickly and easily surrounded by the love and trust of his soulmates.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

Banging crashes of a fist hitting a door echoed through the house, and even half asleep, Sebastian knew the cause. He cursed under his breath as he jumped out of bed and into his jeans quickly.

"S-Seb?" Blaine asked, his head lifting from the pillow as he watched the taller boy hastily buttoning and zipping his pants through bleary eyes. The knock sounded again and Blaine became more alert. He looked as though he was about to get up and investigate as well, but Sebastian reached out to push down on his shoulder.

"Stay here with Kurt, babe," he instructed, his voice almost pleading. Blaine eyed him hesitantly and Sebastian prompted further, "Blaine.  _Promise_."

"O-Okay..." He wasn't happy, clearly, but he settled back down beside Kurt, still watching Sebastian speculatively.

"Keep Kurt here, too," Sebastian called over his shoulder on his way out the door.

It was dark in the hallway—predawn—and Sebastian quickly flicked on the light as he ran down the stairs and wrenched open the front door to reveal his father standing, red faced and furious on the stoop. "Do you want to wake the whole damned  _house?"_ Sebastian spat.

"You little shit! You break into my house-"

"I didn't  _break in_. I used my key and then left it on the table," Sebastian argued, his voice loud but even.

"I should call the police! You're a goddamn  _thief_!"

Sebastian stepped forward and squared his shoulders as he bit back, "I took what belonged to  _me_. Everything I took, I either bought myself or mom left it to me.  _None_ of it belonged to you."

Unexpectedly, Kurt appeared at the foot of the stairs and insisted himself between Sebastian and his father as Blaine crowded in close to Kurt's side. It was wishful thinking that Blaine would have been able to keep Kurt upstairs and a far off pot shot to think that Blaine would stay upstairs by himself after Kurt came down.

"Hey!" Kurt called, pushing Sebastian further back.

Suddenly a hand darted out to grab Blaine's wrist, flipping it up to read the name etched on the skin. Sebastian growled and knocked his father's arm away. "Don't touch him." The command was no more than a growl.

Sebastian's father's confused expression quickly turned mocking as he pointed to Blaine. "You're Bill Anderson's youngest boy, aren't you?" He scoffed. "I should have known."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Blaine's hands were shaking, balled up into tight fists at his side.

"Whenever he comes to play cards down at the country club, all he does is rave about his boy—Cooper, I think his name is—big, successful actor. Bonded to a nice  _girl_. They've got a baby on the way now, don't they?" The man asked, his tone condescending. "But he never seems to want to talk about  _you_. Hell, I've been playing cards with the man for almost ten years, and I never even knew he  _had_  another kid until last year. Guess it makes sense now, though."

Sebastian's shoved his father hard enough to send him stumbling back, the man only barely saved from a punch to his mouth by Kurt restraining arms around Sebastian's waist, holding the shaking boy against his body and pulling him back. "Seb, calm down," Kurt breathed in his ear. "Come on, sweetheart. Calm down."

"Blaine. Come here," Sebastian gritted out toward where Blaine was standing frozen, still shaking and too close to the unwelcome visitor than Sebastian was comfortable with. "Kurt, let go. I'm done. Just let go."

Kurt unwound his arms and Sebastian rocked forward to pull Blaine into his body as Kurt spoke. "I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that this charming man is your father..."

If it hadn't been for the visibly heartbroken expression on Blaine's face, Sebastian might have smirked at Kurt's wit. Instead, he just nodded and pulled Blaine closer, dropping a kiss to the top of his curls and murmuring softly, "Kurt and I love you, and  _we're_ proud of you. Don't give  _him_  the satisfaction of seeing his words hurt you, baby." Another kiss against Blaine's hair. "You're better than he is."

Anger flashed across the man's face at the display of affection. "This all comes from your mother! I told her not to coddle you like she did, but she always insisted, ' _No, Richard...'"_ He adopted a thick, mocking French accent that made Sebastian's skin crawl. _"'There is no such thing as too much love. He is just a little boy.'"_

"Don't. You. Dare," Sebastian ground out, his voice low and furious, arms tensing around Blaine, but his father continued anyway.

"God knows what crap she filled your head with. She always loved that I couldn't understand a damn thing she said to you," he said with a derisive scoff. Sebastian used his hold on Blaine to ground himself as his anger threatened to boil over. If he moved even a fraction of an inch, he was going to snap.

"And where were you?" Sebastian bit out. "Huh? Where were you? You were never home! You were off fucking every bar maid in Columbus while my mother raised me all by herself at nineteen years old. You couldn't be bothered with a kid, because it interfered with your free time, so even when you were home, you didn't want anything to do with me while maman would read to me and teach me how to play catch, and I was so excited when I learned how to throw a football, so I came to show you and you told me not to bother you while you were watching the game. You didn't give a damn about me then, and the only reason you care now is because I have money that you don't have.

"So I don't want to hear a single word about how I took  _my_  shit out of  _my_  room and brought it here, because you wouldn't even recognize any of it, seeing as you've never  _once_  been in my bedroom," he spat out, before his voice turned bitter and mocking. "Well, not while I was there anyway. You sure as hell had no problem tearing the damn thing apart right after I left, did you?" Sebastian accused, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at the man.

"I have  _no_ idea what you're talking about-"

Sebastian laughed without humor. "Don't try that shit with me. I'm young, but I'm not stupid. I opened my nightstand and the necklace box was gone. I had it hidden in the back, but you tore the drawer apart until you found it, and I'm sure it's long gone by now."

The man was silent, his face still screwed up with anger, but clearly at a loss for words, so Sebastian continued.

"That's fine. That necklace meant a lot to me, and you knew that. You also knew how old it was and what it was worth, and I know that means more to you than the fact that the necklace was my mother's favorite and that she gave it to me to give to my daughter. I'm pissed that you sold it, but I don't need it to remember her.

"So, I hope that money makes you happy, because I feel sorry for you. And I am  _so_  glad that maman was the one who raised me, because she taught me that love means more than money, because without love you have nothing. Now I may be a lot of things, but at least I'm not a thief who puts money over his own family, because I could lose everything tomorrow-all my trust fund money, everything maman left me, and all the money mamie gives me-and I would still have Kurt and Blaine and the only family who has ever mattered."

Sebastian's voice turned cold. "If you lost your money, you would have  _nothing_ , because the only reason people put up with your shit is because you have money to help them get ahead, and don't think for a minute that any of them would stick around to help you out if you suddenly lost it all. So, keep the necklace, keep the money you took from my sock drawer, and whatever else I haven't realized you've taken yet, because you need it more than I do."

"You condescending little prick," Sebastian's father snapped, stepping forward. "I told her when she found out that she was pregnant that I wanted nothing to do with you, but somehow word got back to my parents that I knocked your mother up, and I had to stay with her. I never wanted you-"

"You think I don't know that?" Sebastian asked with a laugh. "You think that I harbor any delusions that one day you're going to realize that I'm the son you've wanted all along and we're going to start going to baseball games together? I know you're ashamed of me, and I couldn't possibly care less."

Blaine reached forward and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's waist as though he could protect him from the thought of being unwanted.

"You're damn right I'm ashamed of you! It's goddamn embarrassing to show my face around the country club and hear everyone laughing about my queer son, and now you've managed to make it worse, because it's going to get around that you're bonded to Bill Anderson's fruity kid-"

"Hey!" Kurt shouted, his hands shaking as he lifted a finger to point in the man's face. "You can't come in here and talk to them that way. You've said  _whatever_  it was you came to say, and now I want you the hell out of my house, and don't you dare come back!"

Sebastian's father laughed and took a step forward. "I don't think I'm too worried about you. You're just a whispy little fag, so why don't you step back-"

"What did you just call my son?" The loud and angry voice of Burt Hummel bellowed from the doorway. Burt approached quickly until he was toe to toe with Sebastian's father. Kurt took in a deep breath and the set of his shoulders relaxed, visibly calmed by his father's presence as Blaine pulled him into his arms.

Every bit of color drained from Sebastian's father's face as he took in the furious face and imposing stature of Burt Hummel.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you don't come into someone's house at four in the damn morning and insult their family," Burt raged, backing the man toward the door.

"That's my father, Burt," Sebastian added, an air of smugness about his voice.

"Even better," Burt said, his voice low and menacing. "You three go upstairs."

Kurt tried to argue, but Burt cut him off, pointing toward the stairs, so Sebastian took his hand and towed him toward the bedroom, quietly calling, "You are getting  _nothing_  else from me", to his father as he took his soulmates upstairs and left his father to his fate.

* * *

Sebastian, try as he might, couldn't hide his nerves as Kurt pulled into a parking spot outside McKinley High School.

"How ya holdin' up, Seb?" Blaine asked, turning around to face the taller boy in the backseat.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Sebastian confessed. "Who the fuck would choose to go to public school?"

Kurt laughed and offered, "You did."

"Yeah, well, I heard about all the crap you guys have had to put up with here, and I don't want you doing it alone."

Blaine's face lit up and he leaned between the seats to kiss his soulmate on the lips. "I love you, Seb."

Sebastian groaned in response. "Let's just get this over with so we can go home."

"That's the spirit," Kurt said sarcastically with a laugh.

Blaine's phone rang just as he was about to get out of the car, and his eyes went wide as he read the caller ID. "It's my parents..." he said softly before hitting a button and answering. "H-Hello?"

A woman's voice came through the tinny speaker to echo through the confines of the car. "Blaine, sweetheart, where are you? You didn't come down for dinner last night. I came up this morning to check on you, but you must have already left for school."

It was easy to see the way Blaine's face fell and Sebastian was about to shout "He didn't come down for dinner because he hasn't been home for a fucking week!" but Blaine held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm sorry, mom. I was just tired last night. I'll-I'll be home after school," he said, his voice soft and sad. "But...um...there's something I need to tell you and dad, so do you think that I can bring a couple people over for dinner tonight?"

"Sure, sweetheart," his mother said, her voice almost  _too_  sweet. "Will your friend Kurt be joining us?"

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and mouthed an apology toward Kurt. "Kurt is my  _boyfriend_ , mom. We've been together for almost a year..."

"Yes, well..." his mother replied.

"But yes, he will be. There's also someone else I'd like you to meet, and I was hoping I could bring him home for dinner as well." Blaine's voice was strained and his calm sounded forced.

"Of course, baby," his mother repeated. "Bring whoever you'd like."

"Thank you, mom. We'll be there at six, alright?"

"That will be fine, honey."

He hung up the phone and sighed deeply before saying, "I'm so sorry, but I can't leave without telling them."

Kurt leaned across the console of the car to pull Blaine into a hug. "It's fine, sweetheart. Seb and I understand. This is very important to you."

"I'm just hoping that  _maybe_  if they see that we're bound, they'll finally accept-"

"They won't, Blaine," Sebastian cut in, continuing when Blaine looked toward him. "Honey, people like that don't ever change. You could fuck Kurt on the dining room table, and they'd still deny that you're together until their dying day."

"But they're my  _parents_ , Seb," Blaine argued weakly.

"And you heard how your father talks about you-or more accurately,  _doesn't_  talk about you," Sebastian argued, leaning forward to rest his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Blaine, you don't need to impress them. Your parents didn't even notice that you'd been gone for a week."

"I know," Blaine said, his voice low and dejected. "But still. I want to tell them. It's only right that I explain why I'm moving out."

"Blaine's right, Seb. This is something he needs to do for himself," Kurt added sagely.

Sebastian spun toward Kurt. "You're really going to let him go over there and get his heart broken like that?"

"Of course not," Kurt replied, shaking his head. "We're going with him. So that no matter what, Blaine knows that there are people at that dinner table who love him and accept him for who he is."

Blaine's face broke into an honest to god smile, and Sebastian couldn't bring himself to argue any further. He was just glad Blaine was smiling. Kurt was right anyway. He usually was.

"Now come on," Kurt instructed. "Little Sebby is going to be late for his first day of school."

Sebastian growled and climbed out of the car to the sound of Kurt and Blaine laughing.

* * *

Sebastian's last class of the day was Calculus, a class he shared with Blaine, and when the bell rang, he grabbed the smaller boy's hand and all but dragged him from the classroom.

As he shoved his books roughly in his locker Sebastian asked, "How can you stand this? The work here isn't even the least bit challenging and the teachers are simpletons. The French teacher, the  _fucking_ _French teacher_ , had the balls to tell me that my  _accent_  was off." Sebastian slammed the locker door closed. "She doesn't know the first thing about speaking French. She literally fucked up  _everything_  she was teaching today. I don't know what language she's speaking, but it sure as hell isn't French-"

Sebastian broke off as Kurt came to stand beside him, taking Blaine's hand. "Hey, sweetheart," he greeted. "How was your first day?"

"Just magical," Sebastian muttered, shouldering his bag. "Can we get out of here, please?"

"Um, excuse me, Kurt and Blaine," the high voice of councilor Pillsbury came from behind them. "I'd like to speak to you in my office, please."

Blaine shook his head, obviously still bitter with the woman for the advice she'd given Kurt. "That's not necessary anymore, Miss Pillsbury. Everything worked itself out. Thank you."

"Actually, Miss Pillsbury," Kurt started, rifling through his bag to pull out a book. "I'd like you to have this. It's called,  _Structure and Nature of Soul Bonds._ Believe me...it's just as interesting as it sounds." Kurt rolled his eyes. "But I did bookmark chapter fourteen for you."

The redhead looked up from the book in her hand. "Oh, so this must be..."

"Sebastian Smythe," Sebastian introduced, and he couldn't figure out why it looked like Kurt and Blaine were both smugly preening.

"Show Miss Pillsbury your wrist, Seb," Blaine instructed, taking the taller boy's hand and pushing up his sleeve to reveal Kurt's name on his skin. The woman's eyes flew open wide.

"That's not possible," she said breathlessly.

Kurt crossed his arms. "Yes, you keep saying that, but I hope that you'll read that book I gave you, so that the next time someone comes into your office with a real problem, your advice to them isn't just 'Let it go.'"

"What?" Sebastian asked, his voice curious and irritated.

"Miss Pillsbury told Kurt that he needed to just let me go, because I was bound to you-"

Sebastian turned toward Kurt. "Did you show her your wrist?" Kurt nodded, and Sebastian turned toward the woman. "So why did you tell them to let their relationship go, when it was clear that Kurt was bonded to Blaine?"

The councilor spluttered for a moment, but, ever impatient, Sebastian continued.

"I'd like you to know that I am very much bonded to both Kurt and Blaine, and likewise, they are both bound to me and each other. If you'd bothered to pick up a book, or perhaps listen to your students, then you would see that."

Sebastian took Kurt's hand and pulled him, Blaine dragging along behind Kurt, still clutching the pale boy's hand as they made for the car. As Sebastian climbed back into the car, he let out a deep breath in a gust when he realized that  _that_  wasn't even going to be the worst confrontation he was going to get in that day.

* * *

Sebastian was just about positive that there had literally never been a more awkward meeting in the history of the fucking world.

Kurt sat close to Blaine's side on the dusky pink floral print couch in the Andersons' living room as both of Blaine's parents stare at them in speculation. He hated the silence but the atmosphere was too charged for him to even think about speaking. He reminded himself that he was here for Blaine and forced himself to relax.

"M-Mom, Dad," Blaine began, squaring his shoulders and shifting to the edge of the couch cushion. "I know that I told you I had something you guys should know, and it would mean the world to me if you could just try and support me."

"Of course, sweetheart," Blaine's mother cooed. "Don't we always support you?"

Sebastian had to fight back a laugh, but Blaine continued anxiously. "Yes, I'm sorry. Of course you'll support me," he amended. "I just wanted you to know that I'm bonded."

"What?" Blaine's father choked out. He cast an icy gaze toward Kurt.

"Well, Sebastian's name is on my wrist, but I'm bonded to both Kurt  _and_ Sebastian."

Mr. Anderson stood up. "No. Blaine, you've always been out there, but there's no way that you're bound to two people-especially men. Blaine, it doesn't work like that."

"Actually, sir," Kurt started. Sebastian wanted to reach over and take his hand for being so brave, but he held back. "It does happen. It's not common by any means, but it  _does_ happen, and it  _did_  happen in our case. Blaine's name is on my wrist. My name is on Sebastian's wrist. And Sebastian's name is on Blaine's wrist."

The man completely ignored Kurt's words and focused on his son. "Now, Blaine, your mother and I have been more than lenient with your lifestyle choice, but this isn't right, son. Look at Cooper. He went through a phase in school just like you are, and now he's bonded to a beautiful girl, baby on the way, and he's build a damn good life for himself out there in California."

"I'm sorry, dad," Blaine mumbled toward the floor. "It's not a phase. I  _am_  bonded to Kurt and Seb." It was barely an argument. Blaine's voice was too sad to carry any real weight.

Sebastian was shaking with his anger, but he knew that he needed to chill out. He comforted himself with the knowledge that this was the last time any of the three of them would ever have to see the either of the adults again.

"Now," his father added, sitting back down, crossing his legs and looking the picture of ease. As though he hadn't just told his son that everything he feels and believes is unnatural and wrong. "Enough of this talk. I feel like we haven't really talked in a while."

"I've been at Kurt's since Saturday," Blaine said simply. "I've been gone for almost a week and you didn't even know I wasn't here."

Blaine's mother opened her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance, a woman came into the room and announced that dinner was ready.

Blaine kept his eyes cast to his plate as his parents talked amongst themselves, neither adult seeming to notice him much as he poked dejectedly at his food. The awkwardness of the earlier admission of Blaine being bound to Sebastian had worn off, but there was an unrelenting tension hanging over the table as Blaine's father continued to pepper the conversation with passive aggressive digs at Blaine that seemed to make the boy's shoulders slump a little further with each passing comment.

While Kurt was used to the toxic atmosphere of dinner at the Andersons' home and settled for silently soothing Blaine by holding his hand under the table, Sebastian's body was rigid as he listened to the subtly biting comments the adults were making about their son, the unflattering comparisons between Blaine and "their other son who had done something with his life", and the way every topic turned around to somehow belittle Blaine.

Growing up in an affluent family in Westerville, Sebastian knew how to keep his composure in a tense situation. He'd been raised in going to country clubs every weekend, and he knew first hand just how two-faced and pretentious that set could be, how much contempt and conniving agendas could be hidden behind a fake smile and a sweet tone. The same fake smiles and sweet tones the Andersons were using at the dinner table to hide the thinly veiled insults they were hurling at their son.

Yes, Sebastian knew how to keep his patience when he saw it happening to the pretentious assholes at the country club, but listening to the words being leveled at Blaine wasn't something Sebastian was prepared to stand for. He'd been taught never to make a scene, but he was losing his patience fast.

"So, Kurt," Mrs. Anderson started, a too-sweet smile on her face. "Blaine tells us you're going to major in fashion design. That's fantastic! You have such an eye for it."

Kurt smiled politely and took a sip of his water. "Thank you, Mrs. Anderson. I still have Broadway dreams, but I think I'd be better suited to work behind the scenes in costume design."

"And I bet you'll be able to find a job in that right away, won't you, Kurt?" Mr. Anderson piped in, flicking a glance toward Blaine who shifted a little in his chair. "There's theatres all over that city, so that's a good, practical choice. Maybe you can talk some sense into our Blaine," he added, laughing quietly.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand under the table. "Mr. Anderson, Blaine loves music, and he excels at it, so I don't see how pursuing a music degree isn't sensible. If it's something he loves then he should go for it. It's his dream."

"Yes, well...sometimes you just need to grow up and see that your dreams are just that.  _Dreams_."

Blaine looked tired and on the verge of tears, but his father showed no signs of relenting.

"Son, you've always had quite an imagination, and your mother and I have always encouraged you to do what you love..." Blaine looked up toward his father's voice and for a moment looked as though he might burst out laughing. Blaine couldn't remember a single time his parents had ever encouraged him to do anything  _he_  wanted to do. "But, Blaine...you have to see where this is just  _stupid_. That degree isn't going to be worth the paper it's printed on. Hell, what could you possibly do with a degree in  _dance_?"

"Music, dad," Blaine corrected softly, his voice weak and sad. "I want to get a degree in music."

"Well, I guess that's a little less useless than a  _dance degree_." He laughed, quiet and haughty.

Sebastian's eyes flashed and he gripped the edge of the table tightly. He spoke through gritted teeth, trying to force a smile but feeling it be mangled on his face. "Mr. Anderson, I don't think it's fair to tell Blaine that he can't pursue his dream just because you don't think it's profitable. Blaine knows what he's getting himself into. He's heard the stories of music majors playing their guitars on the street for rent money, so if he knows all that, then I think you should just let him choose his own path. And, sir, I disagree that a dance degree is as useless as you think it is. My mother was a classically trained dancer, and she did several shows in both Paris and New York. She even had her own studio in Columbus. She was pursuing a degree in dance when she got pregnant with me-"

"Yes, and where did that get her?" Blaine's father cut off smugly.

"Hit by a truck on her way home from a class," Sebastian said sharply, his eyes trained on the man's face. "Teaching dance may not have brought home a ton of money, but she loved what she did, and she was passionate about it. I see the same passion in Blaine's eyes, so I can tell you, sir, that his degree will never be useless as long as he loves what he does."

There were tears in Blaine and Kurt's eyes as they watched Sebastian defend Blaine, but the adults seemed unmoved by the words.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, but I know what's best for my son, and I refuse to let him waste his life pursuing some garbage degree and-"

" _Enough!_ " Sebastian shouted, bringing his hand down hard enough to make the silverware rattle. "You can say whatever you want about Blaine not being a good enough son, or not being as talented and wonderful as his brother, because I know, and Kurt knows, and  _Blaine_  knows that you're wrong, and Blaine is used to that. He's used to you not being there to support him or be parents to him, as awful as it is, he's used to it. But I refuse to let you belittle his dreams, because those dreams were the only thing he had to keep him from going completely fucking crazy after being berated or just plain  _ignored_  by the two of you while you swooned over his brother."

Sebastian tossed his napkin across his plate and stood up, reaching to take Blaine's hand. "You say you know your son, but you clearly don't or else you'd recognize that there is  _no_ other career path he could possibly take. Your son was born with a gift that other people would kill for, and I won't let you make him second guess following his dream and having that gift nurtured, because he needs this. And he needs people who will let Blaine choose his own path in life, because ultimately, Blaine knows better than anyone what he needs, because he pretty much raised himself without much help from you, so you don't get to tell him what his dreams should be. He don't deserve an opinion."

He pulled a shocked Blaine to his feet and Kurt quickly stood, an icy stare trained on the adults who sat frozen at the table. "Come on, babe. Let's go get the rest of your things." Sebastian said plainly, towing Blaine behind him as the three of them left the dining room.

* * *

Burt had been beyond pissed when Blaine had walked in the door looking as though he'd been crying. Like Kurt, he'd seen one too many times the impact Blaine's parents had on his well-being.

"You're welcome here for as long as you want to stay, Blaine," Burt had enthused, clapping Blaine on the back. "You're family." A small smile touched Blaine's face and Sebastian kissed the top of his head before he looked up as Burt addressed him. "That goes for you, too, kid."

"Thank you, sir," Sebastian said, nodding and holding out a hand toward Burt. The man shook his hand and gave him a small nod.

"I think we're just going to go ahead and go to bed," Kurt said, his voice sounding sluggish and tired. "It's been a pretty bad day."

"Well, you kids get some sleep," Burt suggested, clapping each boy on the shoulder before bidding them goodnight and letting them pass toward the stairs.

Blaine fell face down on the bed. "You know, that actually went better than I expected it to," he mumbled into the comforter as Sebastian stripped him of his shoes, socks and pants. Blaine shed his shirts and climbed under the covers to wait for his boyfriends.

"They don't get to treat you like that," Sebastian stated, sliding in bed beside Blaine and kissing his temple. "You deserve so much better than that."

Kurt clicked off the light and joined the two under the blankets. "I agree. I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner," Kurt apologized.

"Don't apologize, baby," Blaine said with a yawn, cuddling into Sebastian's side as Kurt pressed in close behind the smaller boy's body. "I'm just glad it's over. I'm actually sort of relieved to be out from under my parents. You don't know how much pressure I had on me to try and live up to Cooper, and that's not who I am. I don't want to be Cooper. I want to be Blaine."

"We want you to be Blaine," Kurt said, pressing a kiss to the knob of Blaine's spine.

"Because we love Blaine," Sebastian added.

Blaine smiled widely and tightened his hold around Sebastian's middle. "I love you both so much."

"We love you, too," Blaine and Sebastian responded in tandem.

As they fell asleep, they knew that there would be more obstacles in their way, more people to tell them that they were wrong or mistaken, but wrapped in each others' arms, the rest of the world didn't matter. They had an unknown future stretching out in front of them to discover together, and they were excited by the challenge and the prospect of a life together, a life of falling asleep each night just like this, warm and content.


End file.
